DYW in the Library
The Library contains a collection of useful resources for future careers, training and education and uses every opportunity to promote the skills necessary for pupils’ future careers.
In addition, pupils using the Library for research gain experience in making connections, teamwork, searching for and discovering information (in many forms), analysing and reviewing sources, using digital skills, designing and creating something new from their investigations and reviewing their work for future improvements.
The Librarian works closely with our Careers Advisors from Skills Development Scotland, who hold regular surgeries in the Library at lunchtime (currently cancelled due to covid).
Pupils wanting appointments with or advice from the Careers Advisors can leave a message with Mrs Macfadyen.
Library Volunteers
Pupils from S2 onwards can volunteer to help in the Library at lunchtime. Senior pupils are also welcome for work experience as part of their Duke of Edinburgh, Personal Development or Volunteering classes.
Reading
Reading is inherently beneficial for employability: communication and language skills are improved through reading, with better vocabulary and self-expression; literature is full of examples of successful behaviours to emulate – as well as behaviours to avoid.
Authors and storytellers
When authors and storytellers visit the Library, we take the opportunity to explore relevant content, encouraging creativity, thinking skills, and wider appreciation of the world. Many of our visitors are also happy to act as real life examples of potential career paths. Recent visitors include:
Alex Scarrow, TimeRiders series: time machine design (Science); time travel posters (Social Subjects); time travel poetry (linked to National Poetry Day, English); former careers as games designer and musician.
Martin Stewart: reinforcing the process of editing written work (pupils working on blogs), and demonstrating the value of precision in creativity; former career as English teacher.
Danny Weston: encouraging creativity through poster design; former careers and transferring skills.
Gill Arbuthnott: focus on researching and using information in a creative way (Science/English creative writing project). Gill also discussed her former experiences working in a laboratory and as a Biology teacher.
BBC Young Reporters
- Visits to Pacific Quay; BBC careers discussion
- Technical skills: filming, writing, research, editing
- Building confidence through discussions and interviews
Titanic Project
- RNLI: Walter Lee
- Storyteller, Allison Galbraith, worked with pupils to develop their own stories, and provide training on voice control, breathing etc for storytelling, helping to build confidence.
Young Science Book of the Year
This book prize is decided by pupils and youth groups across the UK. In OLHS, the Library manages the judging as a project between Art, Business Education and Science, focusing not only on the impact of the books, but also on the various specialists involved in each book’s creation, and how each subject relates to that particular career.
The Future
Few people nowadays stay in the same job for their entire working life. New jobs are always being created to design, build, manage and repair new technology; existing technology becomes outdated and abandoned.
So it’s important that our young people keep up to date with the career path they are interested in, but they should also become familiar with how they learn best, as they’re likely to coin learning their entire lives.
For those without a clear idea of their dream job, it’s even more important to be familiar with what jobs actually exist!
The Library supports all our young people to explore future careers by not only encouraging reading and listening for pleasure, but also by regularly sharing interesting articles via our Twitter account @OLHSLRC. You never know what will spark a life-long fascination.
In addition, pupils using the Library for research gain experience in making connections, searching for discovering information, analysing and reviewing sources, using digital skills, designing and creating something new from their investigations, and reviewing their work for future improvements.
