Skills Development Scotland is Scotland’s Careers Service. Skills Development Scotland offers careers advice, guidance and information to pupils in school, and to people of all ages in Scotland.

Skills Development Scotland can offer free and impartial advice on education, training, careers and jobs.

Aileen Crawford is the Careers Adviser for Balfron High School. She is in school for interviews on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays & Wednesday afternoons and holds a drop-in clinic for quick questions at lunchtime. Aileen can be contacted in the Careers Room in school, located on the balcony above the library. Or you can contact her at aileen.crawford@sds.co.uk and Mobile: 07900030901

Our Careers Advisers offer pupils group sessions, drop-in lunchtime clinics and face-to-face coaching, where appropriate. This is supported by Scotland’s careers and information web service www.myworldofwork.co.uk

My World of Work helps you with up-to-date information, advice and tools when you need it most:

• Subject choices – understand your strengths and make better choices about your subject choices and future career
• Leaving school – find a career that interests you and understand the skills you need to get the job you want
• Exam results – straight into a job or onto further learning? Whatever your grades find help in planning your next steps
• Preparing for a job – discover Scotland’s industries, search for jobs, build your CV and practice for interviews
• Modern Apprenticeships – why not earn as you learn. Find out what apprenticeships are available in Scotland and how they work

Subject Choices?

Subject choice at school can have an impact on what you can study at college or university and what hobs you can go for in the future.  Skills Development Scotland Careers Advisers are on hand to support you at subject choice time.

My World of Work can help you prepare for the chats you’ll have with your Careers Adviser, teachers, parents and carers.

When choosing your subjects ask yourself:

• What are my strengths?
• What do I enjoy learning?
• What are my interests?

You can also use the subject choice tool to start preparing to get the career you want.  Visit www.myworldofwork.co.uk/subjectchoices for more information.

 Parents or carers?

When it comes to making career decisions, you’re one of the first people your child will turn to for help.  Use My World of Work to access reliable and accurate careers information and advice to help you to support the child in your life through those big career decisions. You can also meet with the school Careers Adviser at parent’s evenings.

Parents of S3 pupils are also invited to attend subject choice interviews and letters are sent home prior to the interviews to give parent’s the option of attending.

Leaving school?

Careers Advice and support to access opportunities is also available from Skills Development Scotland for school leavers. We have a dedicated post school team to work with school leavers to help support them with their next steps. Your local Centre is at 66 Upper Craig’s, Stirling, FK8 2DS.  You can drop in between 9-5 Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri and from 10:30am-5pm on a Wednesday or phone 01786 462036 for an appointment.

Other local Skills Development Scotland Centres to Balfron High School are:

DUMBARTON:  32 High Street, Dumbarton G82 1LL. Drop in Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00 and Wednesdays 10:30 – 17:00 or phone 01389 761421 for an appointment.

GLASGOW: 3 Byres Road, Glasgow G11 5RD. Drop in Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00 and Wednesdays 10:30 – 17:00 or phone 0141 357 6250 for an appointment.

GLASGOW: 11 George Square, Glasgow. Drop in Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00 and Wednesdays 10:30 – 17:00 or phone 0141 285 6012 for an appointment.

Deborah Buchanan, Personal Adviser is our Balfron High School post school contact, based in the Stirling SDS Centre:

Deborah Buchanan, Personal Adviser

 

Useful links

myworldofwork.co.uk – for all your work, skills and learning needs

www.apprenticeships.scot – apprenticeship vacancies across Scotland.

www.digitalworld.net – for information and support on digital careers.

Find us on SDS Forth Valley – Facebook pages offer information on events, vacancies and careers support available.

 

To make an appointment:

• ensure you register on My World of Work
• collect a Request for SDS Appointment form from reception
• complete the form – it would be helpful if  have the form signed by your form class leader or a depute head teacher.
• hand the form in at reception
• your form class leader will find an SDS appointment card in their registration pack – you will then be asked to attend the careers interview room at registration to arrange an appropriate time.