Skills Academy – St Roch’s Secondary

School: St Roch’s Secondary

Type of Activity: Access to vocational learning/training and qualifications

Name of Employer: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Amalgamate Safety Risk Management, Barclays, The Loading Bay, Celtic Foundation, Jet2

Case Study:

In April, St Roch’s DYW Co-ordinator met with an SLT member of staff to discuss running a skills academy during the month of may.

The idea was to engage pupils that were not on target to complete National 3 & 4 qualifications whilst also offering additional qualifications and vocational training in career related areas.

35 young people were invited to take part, and engaged with a variety of employers. They were shown different life skills that will support them moving into adulthood and the world of work.

The activities ranged from Budgeting Your Finances with Barclays Life Skills, Fire Safety in the Home and What To Do in the Event of a Fire, to gaining a National 5 in Barista qualification.

The young people also gained a level 5 qualification in First Aid, learning what to do in a medical emergency and crucial lifesaving skills. 

 Jet2 airline Captain McGregor also met with the group, sharing information on the travel & tourism industry and routes to becoming an airline pilot. 

The young people were surprised by the reasonably low level of education needed to gain access to this industry, being nowhere near as high as they had expected. 

The academy ended with a visit to The Loading Bay followed by lunch at Paradise Pit Stop. The Loading Bay allowed pupils the opportunity to try out mountain biking, trampolining, and skateboarding. 

Riding a bike was a first for several of the attendees which was a huge confidence builder and gave them an insight into the Sport & Leisure industry. 

Objectives:

• To introduce a variety of vocational training opportunities to our young people that will support them moving into employment. 
• Equal opportunities where young people could access support with learning allowing them to gain qualifications through active learning and employer engagement. 
• Give a good insight into the variety of career opportunities available to pupils and how to access these. 
• Improve health & Wellbeing through sport. 
• To improve pupils’ attendance and engagement with school and employers. 

Results/Outcomes:

• Pupils gained additional qualifications that will support college and job applications. 

• Improved attendance and engagement for over 30 pupils with approximately 90% achieving a minimum of a National 3/4 qualifications. 

• Equal opportunity goals met by opening the opportunities up to young people that often miss out on employer visits and outings due to non-attendance and lack of parental support. 

• Improved mental health & wellbeing and self-worth. 

Benefits:

• Improved knowledge of careers and opportunities and how to access. 

• Improved number of pupils gaining an SQA qualification. 

• Improved attendance for over 90% of the pupils that took part. 

• Increased confidence surrounding employment and careers as well as further education 

• Pupils were made to feel included and encouraged to recognise their talents. 

Testimonials:

“I loved skills academy. I learned to make a variety of different coffees, and I hope this will help me to find a part time job in my local coffee shop. ” – Pupil

“I am so glad I came along to skills academy. I achieved my National 4 qualifications in Maths & English and my First Aid and Barista qualification.” – Pupil

“I really enjoyed our visits too, especially the Loading Bay where I was the best skateboarder in my group.” – Pupil

“Thank you to St Roch’s for having me in to share some of my knowledge and experience with some of your young people. I hope they took something from the visit, and it has let them see that the industry is not as difficult to access as young people often believe.” –  Captain Alan McGregor, Jet 2 Airlines