The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Raise mugs for pupil power
Coffee-break time for sixth-years after transforming business task
An Inverness coffee house has recruited a group of pupils to reinvent their bustling business.
Nine sixth-year students from Culloden Academy are taking part in the project to transform the King’s Factory Coffee House at Smithton Industrial
“It is a real kind of work they are having to do”
estate. The project, led by Chris Dowling, chairman of the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Inverness and Central Highland board, has given students hands-on experience in undertaking a thorough analysis of a business, as well as conducting research and insights into pricing, strategies and menu options.
Mr Dowling, who also serves as director for Cairngorm Group, said: “Since launching the challenge, I’ve been left thoroughly impressed at the level of knowledge, skill and resourcefulness displayed by the pupils involved.
“The brief set was deliberately designed to chal- lenge the team. To create a departmental brand that is separate yet linked to the church takes a lot of time, research and understanding of the audience.
“They’ve used sophisticated market research tools, conducted surveys and consulted industry trends.”
The pupils have described their experience so far as “completely unique”, and have created a team with diverse interests – ranging from architecture and product design to fine art and fashion branding.
Gavin Murphy, Culloden Academy guidance teacher and representative for Developing the Young Workforce at Culloden, added: “This could have been hard but the way our young people have taken to it has been fantastic.
“They realised from the start this is a work-based placement.
“It is a real kind of work they are having to do, coming and putting ideas forward. I wasn’t sure which way it was going to go but is has turned into a big success story.
“Some of them have even been using and attaching their work to their course. One lad has used the development of the logo as part of his graphic communications course.
“They have shown a huge interest and seeing it’s their own initiative at the back of it, they have been really proactive and ran with it.
“They have great job of it.” made a