Partner With a School or College
Businesses across Scotland are forming meaningful relationships with schools and other education providers. Here at DYW West Lothian, we are helping local employers to build and develop these partnerships for the mutual benefit of both parties.
One of the great things about connecting with a local school is that every partnership is different. What this means for you as a business is that a partnership can be tailored to suit the needs of both you and the education provider, meaning that your involvement can be big or small. What matters most is that it brings mutual benefit to your business and to the young people who are the workforce of tomorrow.
Benefits of forming a partnership with a local school or college include:
If you are ready to explore what a partnership could look like for your business, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Click below to read the Scottish Government’s Guidance Notes on School/Employer Partnerships.
One of the great things about connecting with a local school is that every partnership is different. What this means for you as a business is that a partnership can be tailored to suit the needs of both you and the education provider, meaning that your involvement can be big or small. What matters most is that it brings mutual benefit to your business and to the young people who are the workforce of tomorrow.
Benefits of forming a partnership with a local school or college include:
- The opportunity to promote your industry and show-case the opportunities within it
- A steady flow of Early Careers engagement to create your future talent pipeline
- Directly contributing to young people developing the right skills for the workplace
- The chance to raise business profile and reputation within the community
- Providing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for your staff
- Being part of a wider business network who are directly influencing our young people
If you are ready to explore what a partnership could look like for your business, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Click below to read the Scottish Government’s Guidance Notes on School/Employer Partnerships.
Find out how SQA can support employers to work in partnership with schools, colleges and training providers.
Become a Mentor
Mentoring a young person is not only a great way to develop a young person’s skills and confidence, it is also a fantastic development opportunity for you and your staff.
You may be familiar with the idea of mentoring but are not sure how to go about getting started. That's why the DYW West Lothian team supports Career Ready, a fantastic organisation who offer a structured mentoring programme, making it easy for you to get involved.
Mentoring can be a transformational experience for both the pupil and for you. However, we understand that you need to know whether it aligns with your business needs before you commit. We have therefore taken the liberty of summarising a few of the key things to be aware of as an employer.
Ready to find out more? Click the Career Ready logo below for further information.
You may be familiar with the idea of mentoring but are not sure how to go about getting started. That's why the DYW West Lothian team supports Career Ready, a fantastic organisation who offer a structured mentoring programme, making it easy for you to get involved.
Mentoring can be a transformational experience for both the pupil and for you. However, we understand that you need to know whether it aligns with your business needs before you commit. We have therefore taken the liberty of summarising a few of the key things to be aware of as an employer.
- Career Ready is a 2-year programme aimed at S5 pupils
- There is a commitment of approximately 2 mentor/mentee meetings per term
- The programme includes provision of a 4-week paid Summer internship
Ready to find out more? Click the Career Ready logo below for further information.
Provide Career Advice
We all remember what it was like trying to make career decisions. It isn’t always easy knowing what opportunities are out there and what skills employers are looking for.
Engaging with education is a great way for employers to highlight the opportunities available within their industry and to educate young people about the skills required to be successful in the working world.
There are a range of ways in which you can get involved in providing career advice to local young people, including:
These activities can support your business to raise awareness of your industry, which will not only inspire young people to consider new career options, it will also inform them of what they need to do to get there, which – in terms of talent attraction - is of huge benefit.
If you would like to get involved in providing Career Advice, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Engaging with education is a great way for employers to highlight the opportunities available within their industry and to educate young people about the skills required to be successful in the working world.
There are a range of ways in which you can get involved in providing career advice to local young people, including:
- Delivering a Career Talk within a classroom environment
- Attending a Careers Fair at a local school or college
- Providing support with employability skills such as conducting mock interviews for pupils
- Delivering masterclasses on topics such as CV writing or interview techniques
- Providing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions to teachers
These activities can support your business to raise awareness of your industry, which will not only inspire young people to consider new career options, it will also inform them of what they need to do to get there, which – in terms of talent attraction - is of huge benefit.
If you would like to get involved in providing Career Advice, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Host a Workplace Visit
There is no better way to allow others to gain an insight into your industry than to facilitate a school visit to your business. Showing pupils – and teachers – around your organisation is a great way of bringing your industry to life; it gives people an understanding of the working environment and the opportunities available. Employers find that hosting site visits is a great way of promoting their industry to the next generation workforce, and to their direct influencers.
If you would like our support with helping you to set up a workplace visit, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Alternatively, if you have an opportunity you would like to share, please use our online noticeboard.
If you would like our support with helping you to set up a workplace visit, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Alternatively, if you have an opportunity you would like to share, please use our online noticeboard.
First time hosting a workplace visit? Why not click below to check out our top tips.
Set a Real Life Business Project
Getting pupils involved in an innovative business project can help students to understand the business world and to learn practical, work-based skills. Pupil involvement in projects can also add value to any business through the fresh ideas and insight that young people can contribute.
Business projects are a great way of:
If this is an activity you would like to get involved in, please email the DYW Team: [email protected], and we can support you in taking the next steps.
Already have a business project that you want to get pupils involved in?
Business projects are a great way of:
- Highlighting the importance of listening and following instructions
- Demonstrating how to work together as part of a team
- Developing pupils’ communication and presentation skills
- Improving organisational and project management skills
If this is an activity you would like to get involved in, please email the DYW Team: [email protected], and we can support you in taking the next steps.
Already have a business project that you want to get pupils involved in?
Get Involved in School Competitions
School competitions are a great way of getting the next generation workforce to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas which can provide real added value to businesses. Several local employers are already blazing a trail when it comes to triggering the competitive spirit in local schools. Thanks to their involvement, young people are developing key skills such as creativity, planning and teamwork which will help them to kickstart their career, whilst employers are benefitting from the future talent pool they have a direct role in shaping and developing.
School competitions have one thing in common – they all started with an idea. A simple idea can lead to a great opportunity, whether it is on a small or large scale, whether it is delivered in one school or in ten schools.
If you want support to implement your idea, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Alternatively, you can use our online tool to share details of the competition you want to offer.
School competitions have one thing in common – they all started with an idea. A simple idea can lead to a great opportunity, whether it is on a small or large scale, whether it is delivered in one school or in ten schools.
If you want support to implement your idea, please email the DYW Team: [email protected].
Alternatively, you can use our online tool to share details of the competition you want to offer.
See below for more detail on some of the competitions that are already running in local schools.
Pump It Up Challenge
The Mitsubishi Electric Pump It Up Challenge develops the skills of young people that will benefit them in their future development.
The challenge encourages young people interested in engineering to develop a better understanding of the technology and science that is involved in green energy. The challenge is open to all S3 pupils in all of West Lothian’s Secondary Schools. Each team is made up of up to six pupils who research and design an idea for the use of a heat pump which they then present to judges.
The challenge encourages the young people to come up with innovative ideas and gives pupils better understanding of engineering. The competition helps develop skills such as teamwork and creativity, better preparing young people for the world of work and generating interest from the next generation in working in the sector.
Mitsubishi PumpIt Up Challenge — West Lothian Chamber of Commerce
The challenge encourages young people interested in engineering to develop a better understanding of the technology and science that is involved in green energy. The challenge is open to all S3 pupils in all of West Lothian’s Secondary Schools. Each team is made up of up to six pupils who research and design an idea for the use of a heat pump which they then present to judges.
The challenge encourages the young people to come up with innovative ideas and gives pupils better understanding of engineering. The competition helps develop skills such as teamwork and creativity, better preparing young people for the world of work and generating interest from the next generation in working in the sector.
Mitsubishi PumpIt Up Challenge — West Lothian Chamber of Commerce
Offer a Work Placement
We understand that, for many employers, the perception of a work placement is that they are required to offer a traditional week-long placement in the workplace, a format which employers have told us is not always right for their business. This is why we wanted to let you know that work placements have changed to make way for an approach which is much more flexible and tailored. Placement options now range from bite-size placements through to extended placements, therefore offering employers much more choice when it comes to providing opportunities.
Definition (Education Scotland)
Work placements should enable young people to experience a relevant, challenging, enjoyable and appropriate learning experience within the contemporary workplace. A placement should help the young person to make informed decisions about their future careers.
It can be challenging for young people to get their foot on the career ladder. This is why it is so important for young people to have as many opportunities as possible to gain real life work experience before entering the world of work. If young people are not exposed to the working world while they are still at school, how can we expect them to be fully armed with the work-based skills and understanding that we need from them when they are in employment?
By offering an opportunity which will fit around your individual business needs, young people are more likely to have a positive, more meaningful experience which will develop the essential core skills that employers are looking for.
If you would like to offer a work placement opportunity to a local young person, please use the contact details below to discuss what would work best for your business.
West Lothian Council
[email protected]
01506 281 941
To read more detail about work placements, please click below to access the Developing the Young Workforce Work Placements Standard.
Definition (Education Scotland)
Work placements should enable young people to experience a relevant, challenging, enjoyable and appropriate learning experience within the contemporary workplace. A placement should help the young person to make informed decisions about their future careers.
It can be challenging for young people to get their foot on the career ladder. This is why it is so important for young people to have as many opportunities as possible to gain real life work experience before entering the world of work. If young people are not exposed to the working world while they are still at school, how can we expect them to be fully armed with the work-based skills and understanding that we need from them when they are in employment?
By offering an opportunity which will fit around your individual business needs, young people are more likely to have a positive, more meaningful experience which will develop the essential core skills that employers are looking for.
If you would like to offer a work placement opportunity to a local young person, please use the contact details below to discuss what would work best for your business.
West Lothian Council
[email protected]
01506 281 941
To read more detail about work placements, please click below to access the Developing the Young Workforce Work Placements Standard.