Arbroath collaboration leads the way in eco charge
Arbroath collaboration leads the way in eco charge
Multi-national company Veolia has teamed up with Arbroath High School to develop the next generation of leaders.
The waste management company aims to resource the world and constantly analyses what the planet will look like in 2050. Veolia’s team is passionate about educating young people on the circular economy.
Current S2 pupils will be 42-years-old in 2050, an age which sees many professionals step into their first leadership role.
Veolia operates a ‘Future Leaders’ programme which challenges pupils to develop their leadership skills, work as a team and communicate effectively.
“We live in a world of finite resources and Veolia is determined to play its part in ensuring there is positive change by 2050.
“The S2 pupils at Arbroath High are future leaders and we are determined to provide opportunities to them which will see them become effective leaders.”
Veolia’s Community and Engagement Coordinator Matthew Pastellas
The waste management company approached Skills Development Scotland (SDS) as it was keen to engage with local young people.
SDS introduced Veolia to the Dundee and Angus Developing the Young Workforce team and has worked with them throughout the highly successful project.
“Veolia offered an amazing opportunity for school pupils to be involved in their Future Leadership Residential and their Circular Economy Workshop.”
June Gallagher, SDS Relationship Account Executive
“I was delighted to be able to support them in making the right connections and introductions to get this project off the ground. It was great to hear how the project progressed, the feedback from pupils and of course, some of the related awards Veolia won, demonstrating best practice of school industry engagement.
“Hopefully, this story will hopefully inspire other employers to engage and stimulate future leaders within their sector.”
Veolia delivered a series of engagement days to Arbroath High School pupils. These proved so successful the company worked with the school to develop an application process for those interested young people, which further helped to equip second year pupils with vital skills for the future.
The successful pupils took part in a workshop with a circular economy start-up business, which includes a jewellery maker, and attended a two-night residential trip which focused on developing leadership and teambuilding skills.
These programmes received great feedback from everyone involved and Veolia has offered funding for a second trip when Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
DYW Dundee & Angus Appoints School Co-ordinators
DYW Dundee & Angus Appoints School Co-ordinators
Developing the Young Workforce Dundee & Angus has recently appointed a Co-ordinator in every secondary school across the area, to help drive forward work-based learning and industry engagement with pupils, preparing them for the world of work.
As part of the Young Person’s Guarantee, the Scottish Government has funded these posts, reaffirming its commitment to the DYW agenda within schools. This additional resource will be extremely valuable in re-establishing industry partnerships that may have suffered due to Covid restrictions, and in building up new partnerships to inspire young people as to the career choices available to them, and to develop their skills to make them a valuable addition to the workforce.
In Dundee & Angus, most of these Co-ordinators are existing members of staff, who have been given dedicated time to spend on developing work based learning opportunities in their school. Hilary Roberts, DYW Dundee & Angus Manager said, “The focus on DYW has always been providing experiences for young people to bring them real life examples of what working life will be like, and showcasing the career paths available locally. We rely on local businesses to help us with this, partnering with schools to help with activity such as career fairs, classroom projects, CV & interview skills, site visits and work placements. During lockdown, although we quickly shifted to delivering virtual and online activity, some partnerships have been put on hold, and we now need to re-establish these partnerships and develop new ones. These new co-ordinators will give us the resource to do this, and to really embed the ethos of DYW into every school.”
The School Co-ordinators are:
Baldragon Academy – Claire Collin
Braeview Academy – Paul Harper
Craigie High School – Katie Turner
Grove Academy – Murray Redford
Harris Academy – Peter Flood
Kingspark – Caron Yeoman
Morgan Academy – Stewart Haddow
Rockwell Offsite Education Centre – Sarah Clark
St John’s RC High School – Keith McArtney
St Paul’s RC Academy – Anna McFarlane
Arbroath Academy – Andrew McArtney
Arbroath High School, Brechin High School, Forfar Academy and Webster’s High School – Annemarie Smith
Carnoustie High School – Carolyn Joss
Monifieth High School and Montrose Academy – Russell Brown
Panbride – Rozie Arnott