Companies wanted for work scheme

Angus Council’s chief executive has made an appeal to businesses to get involved in a scheme that offers school pupils work experience opportunities.

Last year the council started the Angus Works project which saw 40 pupils spend one day a week working in a role within the local authority.

The aim was to give the pupils an experience of working life and perhaps inspire their career paths.

The initiative is running again this year and the 45 places on offer at the council and Angus Alive were oversubscribed.

This has led Angus Council’s chief executive Margo Williamson to appeal to businesses keen to take on a work placement pupil for 22 weeks of the year.

She said: “We set up jobs and wrote out job descriptions for the pupils to apply for.

“They were then interviewed for the roles and the successful candidates do this for one day a week during term time.

“There’s a great variety of roles from work in the legal to the leisure departments.

“They are supported by a mentor in the role.

“It does mean that they are out of school classes for that day but they sign a charter saying they will catch up on anything they missed.”

It is hoped that the project will give pupils an insight into working life and help them develop skills for employment.

An endorsement by the employer provides a creditable piece of evidence that can be used for future job applications and the work experience pupils also obtain a SCQF level 4 qualification.

The scheme helps the council meet one of its key aims of developing the young workforce.

Ms Williamson added: “Now that we are running the scheme successfully and there’s a great amount of interest among pupils in Angus, we are looking to extend the project to local businesses.”

She made an appeal for businesses to get involved in Angus Works when she made a speech to Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce members as part of Angus Business Week, which ran last week.

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. Margo Williamson, chief executive of Angus Council.