Pupils to be given practical skills training to prepare them for work

Pupils at a Fife secondary school are to be given training in practical skills to prepare them for the world of work.

Levenmouth Academy students will get the chance to experience work including plastering, tiling, woodwork and plumbing, as well as basic electrical work and painting and decorating.

They will also be given on-site experience with locally-based project work thanks to the new approach being taken by the school and the Community Trade Hub in Buckhaven.

Literacy and numeracy lessons, given by the teachers from the academy, will likely focus on aspects such as accurate measurements and cost estimates to complement the practical training.

The move will give youngsters the chance to try a range of skills rather than only focusing on one.

Around 160 pupils will be offered the alternative curriculum in its first year.

The project has been endorsed by members of Fife Council’s Levenmouth area committee, who have pledged £6,000 to help fund it, while a further £11,000 will come from the school.

Young people who are no longer at school will benefit from a second project at the College Street hub, which is now registered with the Department of Work and Pensions as an accredited training provider.

The Young Start programme will work with 16 to 24-yearolds in the evenings and at weekends, teaching them skills which will help them find a job.

The area committee committed a further £24,000 to employ a supervisor to allow for the expansion of the training on offer.