Introduce yourself!

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74 thoughts on “Introduce yourself!”

  1. Klaus Mayer, Development Officer, Skills 3-18 Team at Education Scotland
    Main remit: Supporting Ayrshires and South Lanarkshire, Equalities, Career Education, Scotland’s Enterprising School, Erasmus+ etc.

  2. Hello fellow DYW #youngworkforce bloggers! I am delighted to see this blog being set up as a platform to share and collaborate as we learn and support DYW across Scotland. Exciting times for the children and young people of Scotland as we collectively look towards 2020.

    I am a Development Officer within the Skills (3-18) Team in Education Scotland.
    So what am I working on?
    I am leading on the Career Education Standard (3-18) and have an interest in skills across the 3-18 age range. I am supporting several local authorities in the west of Scotland and am looking forward to the exciting year ahead. I look forward to many more blog posts as we learn together through the series of learning events.

    In the meantime…why not check out the ES website?
    http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/thecurriculum/dyw/index.asp

  3. Hi Klaus,

    Jon Stembridge here, skills team development officer. My remit covers Technologies including renewables, STEM education and languages. I am currently supporting Dundee and Angus, Perth and Kinross and Fife. My latest pet project has involved working to develop our DYW stand at the Scottish Learning Festival. I am really looking forward to seeing many of partners on the 2nd of September and at the Learning Festival later that month. Along with the rest of the team I having been supporting on all our conversation days with young people and I am looking forward to our next event in Elgin in November.

    I have been supporting Mairi Thomson and Andrew Millar and the team as we near the launch of the Career Education and Work Placement Standards.

    If you are reading this then I presume you are coming to join our event forum. Please remember we also have practitioner forum inside Glow that you may be eligible to join. bit.ly/youngworkforcehome

    Kind regards

    Jon

  4. Hi, Lawrence Durden from Skills Development Scotland. I am the Tourism Industry manager working closely with the tourism sector to try and address skills issues the sector faces and promote solutions to industry. Work closely with Springboard to develop closer links between businesses and education providers.

  5. Leigh Watson here from the Health and Wellbeing team. Part of my workplan is directly related to the DYW agenda through Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport.

    In fact we have an event on Saturday 3rd October where we hope to exemplify some work that is currently going on in schools, and support schools on their journey to embedding DYW through HWB.

    Sign up for the “Developing Young Workforce through Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport” by copying the link into your browser:

    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FQ62CYW

    I’m really looking forward to seeing how the North East have taken this agenda forward through partnernships.

  6. My name is Annette Lang my post title is Education Manager (Lifelong Learning and Employability). I manage the Lifelong Learning and Employability Service in Midlothian and co lead on DSYW for the authority. Our service also supports and coordinates work to increase positive destinations for young people and support adults and families to secure improved outcomes for learning, life and work.

  7. Hi, I am a Learning and Teaching Officer at Moray Council. My current remit includes supporting the development of STEM, Developing the Young Workforce, literacy and Numeracy with all schools in Moray.

  8. Hi all,
    I am the Senior Phase/Opportunities Coordinator for Falkirk Council. I have a strategic lead in the delivery of DYW across the authority along with my partner in crime Hazel Mackie.
    I’m looking forward to tomorrow, apart from the 6am start, to hear more around the role of employers as we move DYW forward.
    Steve

    1. Good afternoon Steve and welcome to the learning event blog. I am certain you are fired up for a productive day of engaging discussion tomorrow.

  9. Welcome Craig, Hannah, Leigh, Annette and Lawrence and congratulations for the lightning speed response! Enjoy the conversations on this blog.

  10. Hi, I’m Katie Stewart, manager of the Prince’s Trust’s pilot programme “Future Starts”.
    The programme aims to meet the recommendations set out in the DYW report by working with potential school leavers who are at risk of achieving less than five National 5’s and are unsure of their next steps when leaving school.
    The programme offers industry taster days, work placements and supported progression into a positive destination. By participating, young people are also able to gain an accredited qualification.
    The pilot is running in 6 Local Authority areas throughout the 15/16 term – Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Dundee and Angus.

    1. Hi Katie, very interested to hear more about you work in Angus, Angus and Fife as these are my college regions. Please get in touch so we can meet to discuss. Jon

  11. Hello – Iain Stewart, ESO, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Education and Children’s Services Department – with responsibility for DYW. Looking forward to meeting/listening/learning/contributing….

  12. Hi, I’m Anna McFarlane. I’m a guidance Teacher to trade and I have just begun a new role as ‘Strategy Officer’ for DYW in Dundee. We are focussing on and piloting new ideas in St. Paul’s RC Academy and I am looking forward to working with college, employers, colleagues and parents/carers as we strive to bring about sustainable change.

  13. Hi everyone My name is Alison Seggie, Enterprise Manager with Perth & Kinross Council and have been involved in developing a Perth & Kinross approach to DYW. Looking forward to tomorrow’s event. At the moment busy working with our colleagues in the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce to pull together a bid for a Perth & Kinross DYW private sector led group.

  14. Hi all, I’m Chris Stockwell, Head of Agriculture & Business Management at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). We have just started delivering an NPA Rural Skills at Alford Academy (along with pupils from Aboyne Academy too) and we are keen to develop our links and activities with schools.

  15. Hi Everyone,
    I’m Oumar, Development Officer at BEMIS Scotland. My remit is Modern Apprenticeships, which play an important factor in developing the skills of young people within the Scottish workforce. BEMIS in partnership with Skills Development Scotland is raising the visibility and awareness of MAs within the ethnic and cultural minority communities.
    I look forward to meeting with you all.

  16. Hi, I’m Nicky MacLennan, 16+ Lead Officer in The Highland Council.
    My team support 32 secondary schools across the region including Opportuntities for All agenda, Work Experience, work related qualifications, vocational pathways, activity agreements, and driving forward the Developing the Young Workforce strategy. We will also be expanding our very succesful Bridge to Employment model across the area to include Tourism, Food and Drink as well as our current STEM programme.

  17. A warm welcome to Nicky, Oumar, Chris, Alison, Anna and Iain. We are delighted to have a lot of the ‘breadths and depths’ of the DYW landscape already represented here. This will undoubtedly make for rich discussions and forward thinking around the event.

  18. Hi, I’m Alex Assistant Director for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Scotland. I support the operations of the DofE in Scotland particularly looking at how it articulates to DYW and how we can increase the use of the programme within MAs and other vocational programmes.

  19. Hi Everyone I am Brian Webb and I work for SHMU (Station House Media Unit) Aberdeen. I am the shmuTRAIN coordinator and deliver 2 employability programmes across the city. The first is delivered within 5 academies in Aberdeen where we deliver a year long Employability Skills development course which is SQA accredited and takes the pupils through an SQA in Employability, Radio and Film at Level 4 and 5. We also offer a 12 week employability programme for 16-19 year olds.

  20. I am Marion Burns and I work in Directorate A in Education Scotland. I am an HMInspector with an early learning and childcare and primary school background. I am the area lead officer for three authorities: Scottish Borders, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire.

  21. Hi everyone, I am the Business Liaison Officer within the Schools & Learning Team of Angus Council. It is my role to encourage and facilitate the development of effective and (most importantly) sustainable partnerships between the business community and our Angus Schools. Given the obvious links to DYW, I am also the operational lead for driving forward this strategy across the authority.

    1. So sorry Lesley, I meant to introduce myself, Rodger had told me you were coming… in the end I found myself with more of a job on the sound and lights. We must make time to meet and discuss Angus DYW. I am in the process of putting together a baseline summary for our team… Hope to talk soon… Jon

  22. Hi all, I’m Shelley MacKenzie, Schools Liaison Manager at North East Scotland College. My team work with 29 schools across 2 Local Authority areas to offer a wide range of vocational education opportunities for senior school pupils across the region. We operate a broad programme of courses for school pupils as part of their school curriculum including Skills for Work courses at N4 and N5 level, Highers, NPA’s, NC’s, HNC’s and City and Guilds Awards. In all we will have 51 courses for around 950 pupils running throughout the school year in 15-16, with an additional Taster Course programme of around 60 courses for another 900 pupils. We’ve recently welcomed a school pupil on an Extended Work Experience placement to our team and we are working in partnership with a number of partners to develop our programme further for 16-17, looking in particular at the opportunities for progression to employment within the region.

  23. Hi, my name is Phil Stewart, Economic Development Officer with Dumfries and Galloway Council. My responsibilities includes Opps for All and development/implementation of the D&G employability award amongst a host of other responsibilities.

  24. Hi, I’m Bob McGowan and I am Co-ordinator of SCEEN (Scottish Council Enterprise in Education Network) – a network of local authority lead officers in enterprise in education. Former ‘Determined to Succeed’ Senior Adviser – currently a performance consultant in education, business and sport. Looking forward to another inspiring DYW day.

  25. Welcome Marion, Lesley ,Shelley, Phil and Bob. Thanks for introducing yourself and sharing some of the exciting work you are currently involved in. See you all at the AECC tomorrow.

  26. I am Director of Qualifications at sqa. We are working with SDS on Foundation Apprenticeships. Also interested in how,we can support schools with appropriate vocational qualifications – either existing ones and new ones, Eg what vocational qualifications coukd be used as progression routes into FAs. Interested to hear how DYW developing locally and to understand how SQA can best support work locally.

  27. Good evening everyone! I’m Michelle Robertson, Education for Work Officer for West Lothian Council. My responsibilities include; managing the School Work Placement Programme and facilitating school/employer partnerships. I also Chair the World of Work Network; this is a local authority owned group – whose members share best/emerging practice related to a number of school work experience related programmes (including placements) . I’m involved in a number of DYW related projects at the moment, the most recent one (hot off the press today) looking at extending our excellent partnership with West Lothian College to consider a joint STEM manifesto. I’m about to begin my journey up to the Silver City now… Looking forward to the event tomorrow.

  28. I am a Business/Employability Trainer working with Young Enterprise Scotland working in secure units and primary & secondary schools.

  29. I have been seconded to Education Scotland Skills 3-18 team from Forfar Academy in Angus in order to help implement the DYW agenda. Looking forward to meeting you all!!

  30. Hello, I’m Bob Jones. I’m the National Parent Forum Scotland area representative for Aberdeenshire. NPFS have been involved in previous DYW days, so I’m coming along to continue NPFS input from a parental perspective.

    For the day job, I’m a Ltd Company contractor in the oil and gas industry (Process / Chemical Engineering) and have been known to man a stall at various school’s career’s events informing / encouraging young people to consider Chemical Engineering as a profession, which may also shape my contribution to the conference….

    looking forward to it…

  31. Hi there

    Rebecca Chad, Development Officer, Skills (3-18), Team at Education Scotland.
    Main remit: lead on Equalities working with partners and stakeholders to drive forward the recommendations and embed Equalities across the programme. I am also working on developing the professional learning that sits behind the report and at present will help practitioners to deliver the new Careers Education Standard and Work Placement Standard. My colleague Mairi Thomson and I have planned a series of Young Person Conversation Days to engage with children and young people, 3-18 around the Standards. The team are now planning our next event in Elgin on November 5th. I support Argyll & Bute, Highlands, Moray, Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and recently returned from a very inspiring two day in – service in the Western Isles where all secondary teachers and primary schools, alongside other national & local partners and stakeholders, led by the Director of Education, engaged with DYW and the Careers Education Standard. Iain Stewart is coming tomorrow so take time over coffee to ask him all about it. I look forward to working with you all tomorrow.

  32. Hello,
    I am Kelly Johnstone Director for Springboard Scotland and very much part of the DYW team working towards the recommendations in the report. One of our main aims and focuses within Springboard is bringing industry (HLT) Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism and schools closer together through quality work experience and specialised programmes like FutureChef and FAB in Front of House. Looking forward to event 2!

  33. Simon Fraser, Project Manager, Elevator. Covering enterprise and entrepreneurship with a focus on helping young people realise their enterprising potential.

  34. Hi. I’m Ken McAra, an HM Inspector with Education Scotland and also the Area Lead Officer for Argyll & Bute, Falkirk and Perth & Kinross Councils.

    Looking forward to an interesting morning.

  35. Thank you to Angela Scott for her welcome and setting the scene for the day. Making the connections between skills development and a future workforce is a key challenge for us all.

  36. Good morning. Looking forward to an interesting day. I am part of the Post-16 team in Education Scotland. Part of my role involves support as college HMI for North East Scotland College and for Glasgow Clyde College.

  37. Sharing the workbook from the last event and this one will be important, given that not all authorities have attended one or both.

  38. Liking the sound of the regional groups. Hopeful that they will also consider how to best meet the employment needs and particular capabilities of young people with additional support needs – sustainable destinations are important for them too. Education has a responsibility to help employers understand what is possible for these young people

  39. Skills focus on work placements – great idea (current units from 1990’s are pse-oriented). To provide work placements with work-skills currency – suggest incorporation of Core Skills (dual accreditation opportunities) and facilitate incorporation of other ‘essential skills / vocational skills’ ala Scottihs Skills Strategy.

  40. Hi all. I am a teacher currently seconded to the Curriculum School Improvement Team in Dumfries and Galloway Council with employability as part of my remit. I have been working closely with the Employability and Skills Service as we progress the DYW agenda with all our young people.

  41. Hi All, I head up regional operations for Skills Development Scotland in the North ( Highlands & Islands). With a focus on helping customers develop career management skills through coaching and interaction with our web portal My World of Work, industry, national training programmes including work based learning models such as Modern apprenticeships. We bring the Skills Planning Model to life – aligning demand>supply>

  42. A day later I finally get blogging! I’m leading implementation of DYW in schools on behalf of Education Scotland and Scottish Government. Still reflecting on yesterday . Would like the various strands of dialogue that began yesterday to continue. Looking through the group of folk already on the blog stream here is exciting in itself. Can you see the diversity of perspective and skill we bring to the challenge just from what is written here?

  43. Hi, I am the Opportunities for All Officer for West Lothian Council, the DYW lead and part of the MCMC Team. I have been working with our Economic Development Department, West Lothian College and a number of other partners to develop our DYW strategy.

  44. Hi everyone – I’m late to the party I’m afraid (hope there’s still some pringles left?!). I work for Dundee as Development Officer for LLW Skills.

  45. My role in the DYW team is looking at the Senior Phase, SCP, Foundation Apprenticeships and Equalities. The curriculum subject I am leading on is Modern Languages. And the georgraphical areas I will be working with to support include Lanarkshire(s) and West Lothian. I look forward to meeting you all in the near future.

  46. Hi all. I’m Tony Coultas and part of the team in SDS who are working on the development of different aspects of work-based learning – supporting the development of foundation apprenticeships in the senior phase, graduate level apprenticeships and work-based learning pathways.

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