Inspiring firms, boosting prospects
Wednesday, September 21 saw the successful launch of the regional West Lothian Developing the Young Workforce programme, with Linda Scott (CEO) giving an overview of the project’s ambitions and goals.
The industry-led programme seeks to inspire local employers’ involvement in preparing young people for the world of work, with the ultimate aim of enhancing their future prospects.
Throughout her speech, Linda emphasised the significant role that local businesses of all sizes play in developing young people and highlighted the importance of their engagement with education in shaping youth future.
The Economic Conference was extremely informative and it was great to hear about the impressive range of youth development activities already taking place in West Lothian.
It was clear that the innovative, dynamic look of the DYW brand aims to reflect the fresh perspective that investing in a young person can bring to a business and ultimately aims to attract the businesses who will play such a crucial role in the programme’s success.
The DYW programme, led by Lauren Brown, will encompass the creation of an online portal to aid in bringing education and business together,
aiming to make it a streamlined process which appeals to the business community.
The evening included some inspiring presentations from a range of speakers and a true highlight was hearing from some of the young people who have been given a life-changing opportunity by a local employer.
Thomas McTague, current employee at Lareine Engineering, spoke about his experience as a young person trying to get into the workplace: “I was handing out lots of CVs but felt like it was impossible to find a job despite past qualifications.
“I then applied for an HNC in Mechanical Engineering at West Lothian College. Thanks to the college working closely with Lareine Engineering, I was given the chance of a work trial in the design team which led to the full-time job I am in now.
“I cannot imagine what situation I would be in now if it wasn’t for their support”.
The Chamber would like to thank everyone who came along and supported the launch of the programme and looks forward to building on the already positive response from local businesses so far.
I cannot imagine what situation I would be in now if it wasn’t for their support.