A very interesting day at the Creative Spaces event today, held at Dundee and Angus College and led by Doug Binnie of Nicoll Russell Studios. Second year students from 22 schools across Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross took part in designing an outward bound centre in Loch Leven. The young people had an amazing time; working together to fulfil the brief, create a model, estimate construction costs and then present to teachers, professionals and judges. The whole e…vent helped develop a variety of soft skills that these young people will use for the rest of their lives, as well as broaden their horizons, exploring career possibilities and exploring Dundee and Angus College as a progression pathway.
Congratulations to the winners, Bell Baxter high School in 4th place, Perth grammar School in 3rd, Kinross High School in 2nd and Well Done to Craigie High School in 1st place!
As MSP Fiona Hyslop said at the start of the event, “Scotland’s young people are full of creativity and good ideas and Scotland needs to showcase that.”
But Creative Spaces also put on brilliant provision for the teachers who were kept out of the workroom for the majority of the day, encouraging the young people to achieve on their own. The teachers got talks from a variety of organisations, all with the aim of expanding their awareness of the support and opportunities that exist for students.
We heard from Young Scot about the young ambassadors and the exiting Year of Young People to come in 2018, Dig It 2017 explored some of the fabulous resources available and gave us a pop quiz with very interesting prizes. We then heard from Enquire – the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning about the huge range of support available for young people, with ASN and their parent and teachers. Followed by Historic Environment Scotland and the great new opportunities at The Engine Shed and finally AECOM and the prospect of becoming a landscape architect, a diverse and rich career that isn’t always thought about.
Events such as Creative Spaces are incredibly valuable to young people, but they are equally valued. They don’t just benefit young people as well. Every adult I saw and spoke to (teacher or industry professional) had a smile and great feedback to share. Doug Binnie made a very true point at the beginning of the session. “Young people make up 20% of our population and 100% of our future.” We need to prepare our young people for our future, not just theirs. We need to recognise where the skills gaps are and address them now. Events like Creative Spaces are fun, but they also serve a bigger purpose, instilling soft skills and encouraging young people into industry.
If you would like to get involved with young people, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Developing the Young Workforce team.