Meet the Team at Developing the Young Workforce Argyll & Bute
Developing the Young Workforce’s (DYW) team of Argyll and Bute mentors explain their roles in linking education with the world of work throughout Argyll and Bute, a region with its own particular challenges, and as its coordinators and young people have increasingly been finding out, some special opportunities.
What is Developing the Young Workforce?
It is an organisation set up in 2014 under the authority of Education Scotland and the Scottish Government to try to reduce youth unemployment by 40 percent by 2021.
In Argyll and Bute it functions as part of the local authority’s education services.
Its aim is to bridge the gaps which exist between schools, young people, and the employers who are hoping to recruit them after they leave secondary education.
Who are the team in Argyll and Bute?
Scott McKinnon heads the team as regional lead, supported by Pamela McNaughton, administration and finance assistant, who are both based at Dunoon Grammar School.
Around the region, Suzi Thomson, co-ordinator, covers Campbeltown, Tarbert and Islay secondary schools, while fellow co-ordinator Peta-Jane Miller covers Oban, Tobermory and Tiree.
Further east, Beth McLardie is the co-ordinator for Lochgilphead and Helensburgh, and Ailsa Cassidy looks after Rothesay and Dunoon secondaries.
The team is 50-50 employer- and young person-facing.
Suzi Thomson explained: “We want to make young people aware of the roles, employers and industries that are out there in Argyll and Bute.
“At the same time, we work with employers to help them attract young people into their industries, which can only be beneficial for them as a business, by strengthening their talent pool, and more generally, for the communities in which they operate; keeping people in the area to train and work will help to energise those communities when they choose to live, work, and contribute to the local economy.”
How does DYW work within Argyll and Bute?
Suzi continued: “We can facilitate that link between schools, employers and young people by putting on events such as careers fairs, employer engagement lunches, business workshops in schools, and work experience placements; these all help to build relationships and a greater understanding of how DYW can bridge the knowledge and skills gap that may exist from both school, student, and employer perspectives.
“Every Scottish school has to have DYW representation, and while some inner-city schools have three coordinators to one secondary, each Argyll and Bute coordinator covers multiple schools with the geographical challenges involved.”
Regional lead Scott said: “We can work with employers to ensure young people are as fully-informed as possible on the opportunities available to them. “The idea is to give young people as close a look at and experience of real-world experience of the workplace as we can before they go out into the world of work themselves. “As well as the different events DYW runs throughout the year, this year we have organised a DYW Conference taking place in Dunoon in May, to bring employers and key partners together to consider how we can offer increased opportunities for young people and create a sustainable workforce for the region’s future.
Another important policy is the Young Person’s Guarantee. “This brings together employers, partners and young people and aims to connect every 16- to 24-year old in Scotland to an opportunity. “This could be a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering. “It could also be an enterprise opportunity. I’d like to encourage as many employers as possible to sign up to this.
See https://youngpersonguarantee.scot/