Overview:

Before the end of term in June, pupils from 3 High Schools in Dundee had the opportunity to spend two days at Dundee Port and learn first-hand about how the Marine & Logistics sector operates.

Organised in conjunction with the DYW Dundee & Angus Team and Dundee City Council, twelve 6th year pupils from Craigie High, Morgan Academy and St Pauls Academy in Dundee spent two days at the port as part of Forth Ports annual ‘Discovery Week’.

Forth Ports Ltd’s ‘Discovery week’ has also taken place their Leith and Grangemouth facilities, with pupils from across Scotland benefitting from this fantastic industry insight.

Each day is structured to provide a varied and interesting look at what the industry is all about and also what skills/attributes people working in the sector need to have.

Day one

Day one was a packed day of activities, starting with a welcome and introduction from Nick Henderson, Apprentice and Early Years Career Manager at Forth Ports. The pupils were then given an insight into the fascinating history of Dundee Port, from its beginnings hundreds years ago to the present day.

The pupils were given talks by senior port staff explaining how the port operates and the various functions involved, then heard from a current Modern Apprentice. He gave an insight into his engineering/maintenance role and explained how varied each day can be working at the port, which he really enjoys. There was the opportunity for pupils to ask questions and learn more from these experienced professionals.

The afternoon was also very busy for pupils, who took part in team working activities such as designing a Health & Safety Poster, completing a toxic bean game, a quiz, and also had a guided tour of the Port.

Day Two

Day 2 started at a similar busy pace, with pupils again working together on various activities relating to the Marine & Logistics industry. Pupils completed the “Business on the Move” Logistics Board Game, a Survival Problem Solving exercise and Manual Dexterity Challenge in pairs.

The two-day visit was then concluded by port staff choosing the winners of the both the Health & Safety Poster challenge and the Logistics Game, with the pupils receiving awards.

Impact

The impact of industry visits like these are invaluable for young people. They expose pupils to an industry that they knew nothing about previously and this enables them to perhaps consider a future career within the sector.

Some pupils who attended already had an interest in pursuing a career engineering, others had completely different ideas of what they wanted to do once they left school. What is really valuable about this type of industry insight for the pupils is the being able to speak to experienced professionals who are involved in the industry and get a first-hand look at how the organisation works on a daily basis.

Another benefit to this type of industry insight is pupils having the opportunity to work with pupils from other schools that they didn’t previously know and develop their communication and team working skills, pushing them outside their comfort zone.

View from Forth Ports

Nick Henderson, Apprentice and Early Careers Manager at Forth Ports said “Forth Ports Ltd are committed to engaging with local schools to raise awareness about what we do and highlight the diverse job roles that people can undertake within the Marine & Logistics sector to support pupils when considering career choices. Over the two days we gave pupils an insight into the world of work and what type of behaviours employers are looking for through interactive activities.”

DYW Team

Ross Paterson, Employer Liaison Advisor from Dundee & Angus Developing the Young Workforce team believes that this type of event is extremely worthwhile for the pupils involved. “Our DYW Team was delighted to work with Forth Ports to help facilitate this industry insight for pupils. Forth Ports staff have put so much of their time into organising a fantastic two days for these 12 young people to make it fun an interesting for them. The pupils have all left the two-day visit with a new appreciation of the marine and logistics sector and an understanding of the transferable skills they will all need to be successful not only in this industry, but in the world of work more widely, which is exactly what all partners in Developing the Young Workforce are aiming to achieve.”

Get in Touch

If you are an employer who would like to work with education in some way, or a teacher who would like to engage with industry to benefit your pupils, then please contact our DYW Dundee and Angus team who will be able to advise and guide you through the process.

You can contact the team on 01382 443409 or at contact@dywtaycities.co.uk