Lorna Macdonald, Principal Officer for Creative Learning, reports from the Scottish Career Ready graduation event, which saw S6 students from across the country gather with their mentors at Perth Concert Hall to celebrate completing the programme on 17 March 2016.
It was a heartwarming moment, seeing hundreds of young people from across Scotland graduate from Career Ready and know that each one had a mentor who had worked with them to develop their confidence and skills.
I clapped super loud for my mentee, Adele, as she stepped forward on the stage to receive her certificate and handshake along with others from Gracemount High School.
In autumn 2014 I signed up as a mentor in the Career Ready programme, along with colleagues in the council as well as many others from businesses across Edinburgh. We each met our mentees in their schools and embarked upon a journey with the young people as they went through S5 into S6. I was matched with Adele and we met regularly over the months to discuss her studies, challenges and dreams.
All mentees in the programme get a paid internship in the summer holiday between S5 and S6. The internships are designed to give the young people a chance to develop the skills they need to move forward to further study or work after leaving school. My mentee really blossomed during her internship and amazed us all (and herself!) at what she achieved.
Fourteen Edinburgh high schools had pupils graduating from Career Ready:
- Balerno
- Boroughmuir
- Castlebrae
- Craigroyston
- Drummond
- Firrhill
- Gracemount
- Holy Rood RC
- Leith Academy
- Portobello
- St Augustine’s RC
- St Thomas of Aquin’s RC
- The Royal High
- Wester Hailes Education Centre (WHEC)
In addition to recognising the more than 300 young people who completed the programme, the graduation awarded Ryan Thorne with the Sir Winfried Bischoff Award for Scotland. Ryan, a pupil at Glasgow’s Holyrood Secondary, has subsequently been shortlisted for a Young Scot Award.
David Chalmers from Holy Rood RC High was the Edinburgh winner for the Sir Winifred Bischoff Award and also achieved full-time employment with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as a result of his impressive work during his journey with Career Ready. David’s confidence really grew over the programme to the extent that he was asked by Career Ready to address a large gathering of potential business partners to promote their engagement in the programme, which he did to great acclaim and praise.
An Edinburgh teacher also came away with an award. Kristyna MacSween, Curriculum Leader at WHEC, was recognised as Scotland’s Santander Employability Champion 2016 for her excellent work in nurturing employability skills in her pupils.
Congratulations to all the Career Ready graduates I know that the teachers, parents and all the mentors wish them well and we look forward to hearing of how they each build on their success…onwards and upwards!
Find out about Career Ready at www.careerready.org.uk.
See the social media highlights from the event on Career Ready UK’s Storify.
