Here at ORB, we’re always looking at ways to support our local community and in particular the workforce of the future. As part of this we have joined forces with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce which is involved in a national scheme, the Young Person’s Guarantee. This has seen our divisional manager in Scotland, Gregor Cruickshank, starting to visit schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians to help prepare students for working life. Gregor explains more.
I’m really pleased to be working with Edinburgh Chambers and its Developing the Young Workforce team (DYW) on this exciting initiative.
The Young Person’s Guarantee is a joint commitment to provide opportunities for all 16-24 year olds in Scotland through jobs, apprenticeships, further and higher education, training programmes and volunteering.
Currently there are teams of coordinators for the project that work between the different schools, and I was approached to see if could help students at schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians with some of the basics such as CV preparation/presentation, how to prepare for an interview and what to expect in an interview.
This is mainly done by me visiting schools and giving talks/presentations or attending work fairs alongside other companies and providing first-hand advice to young people and their parents. It’s a mix of daytime and evening events, probably once or twice a month.
I attended my first session at Edinburgh’s Trinity Academy this month and the theme was CV and interview preparation. I went over everything from what should be included in a CV from basic info, skills, job info and how it should look – including reminding them of the no pictures rule! I then ran through what to expect at an interview, how to prepare, what to wear and questions to ask the interviewer.
This was my first public speaking event in a long time, especially to this number of people but it all seemed to go really well. There were a little over 100 fifth and sixth year pupils attendance and I managed to get some engagement from them so hopefully they were all able to take something out of it!
Being part of this initiative allows me to use my knowledge and skills and pass on information and tips that young people may not be able to easily access elsewhere. There are lots of things that we don’t like to see on a CV or when we interview candidates so it’s good to be able to pass this on to those who are just starting to think about their careers so they are as prepared as they can be for the process involved.
So far, I’m really enjoying it. The next event I’m doing is a smaller, sit down session with around 20 kids of a similar age which I am really looking forward to. I’m just pleased to be involved and hopefully making a positive difference in these young people’s lives.