Work Aware at S3

Last year, DYW Glasgow launched a new project, Work Aware at S3, in partnership with FARE Scotland. The aim of the project was to provide young people (who could be at risk of disengaging from school) with various employer visits over the course of 12 weeks, and to use ‘Glasgow as a Classroom’ by providing young people the opportunity to visit different areas of the city and understand different entry-level positions that could be available to them.

The first cohort from the programme attended their scheduled activities from August to November. This cohort consisted of young people from Knightswood, Eastbank and All Saints Secondary Schools. Between these schools, there were thirty-one young people registered with attendance varying throughout the programme. The young people identified for the programme were attending school less than 25% of the time but averaged almost 80% at the programme (some absences were due to school exclusion.)

The qualifications delivered on the programme were SCQF Level 6 Emergency First Aid at Work and SCQF Level 5 Health and Safety in the Workplace. A total of 38 qualifications were achieved by the participants.

Twelve employers participated in the first part of the project (cohort one). These employers were split across the three schools, allowing each group to get a taster session in specific industries. During the twelve weeks, there were twenty-two employer visits out of a possible twenty-four. This was due to the school’s industrial strike action, and we were not permitted to take the young people out on those days.

Example case study from Cohort one:

CL was referred to the Work Aware Programme through his school and the FARE partnership team. The reason for the referral was that CL is partly dis-engaged from school. CL is on a part-time timetable – he attends school daily for two periods. During these two periods, he finds going to his timetabled classes a struggle which then leaves him wandering around the school distracted and disconnected from learning. School can become overwhelming for CL as he has ADHD and dyslexia, and CL sometimes forgets to take his medication. This has a knock-on effect on how his day goes. CL also has a lisp and can feel very isolated in school as he doesn’t have many friends.

Throughout the programme, CL realised how this opportunity would help him build up his skills and knowledge for employment and support him to grow as a person. He enjoyed the various employer visits which gave him an insight into the career paths out there. He particularly enjoyed the McDonald’s and NG Homes visits as he liked the practical elements of these roles.

During the twelve weeks of the programme CL missed one session due to being suspended from school. They eleven weeks are the only times were CL completed full days at school, which is a massive achievement for him, he even recognised it himself and expressed it numerous times to staff. He would always offer to help, whether it be cleaning up materials, taking equipment to and from the minibus or trying to support his peers. It was great to see that he didn’t let his support needs be a barrier to his learning.

Quote from young person:

“I can’t believe I managed to do full days on Tuesdays, I am pure buzzing with myself. I am surprised I actually stuck at something and even learned new things. I am proud of myself.”

Objectives

To offer employer interactions in different way to young people at risk of disengaging.

Ensure young people are aware of the various pathways available to them.

Results/Outcome

The first cohort of young people’s average attendance was 79.5%. Young people were committed to the learning experience and enjoyed the out-of-school environment exploring various careers in Glasgow.

The qualifications delivered on the programme were SCQF Level 6 Emergency First Aid at Work and SCQF Level 5 Health and Safety in the Workplace. A total of 38 qualifications were achieved by the participants.

CL (case study example) managed to gain two qualifications on the programme, SCQF Level 5 Health and Safety in the Workplace and SCQF Level 6 Emergency First Aid at Work. He pushed himself during tasks, asking questions to employers to gain more information about the companies and worked well in smaller groups. This helped develop many of his skills, in particular, his confidence and following instructions.

The participants were surveyed at the beginning and end of the programme, the ranking for all questions increased significantly, some responses are listed below:

How much do you know about what you can do as a job after leaving school?

4.42 to 7.29 (65% increase)

How much information do you have about who to speak to about jobs and school subjects?

5.35 to 7.68 (44% increase)

How much do you know about the skills that you have, that an employer would look for?

5.00 to 7.68 (54% increase)

How much do you think this programme has allowed you to find out about things that would interest you and given you the chance to try new things and learn in different ways?

8.61

All responses are on a scale of 0-10.

Benefits

Young people gained a real insight into the world of work and the various pathways they can take after school. They have gained new skills, qualifications and the confidence needed to pursue different pathways.

Top skills gained from this project so far:

Communication

Problem Solving

Focusing

Thinking

Initiative

Listening

Teamwork

DYW Glasgow are currently reviewing feedback from employers, pupils and FARE Scotland. We are looking forward to the second phase of the project and are preparing for the next cohort to undertake their scheduled employer visits.

Testimonials

Other quotes from cohort one:

“Thank you for giving us the time of day and letting us learn about these places.”

“Really enjoyed it, opened my eyes to what is out there.”

“Loved the visits, it was a blast.”

“Enjoyed learning about what skills I have and how they help.”

“Was the only time I spent a full day in school when I was at the programme.”

“Can I do it again?”

“Brilliant, I never get to try things like this in school.”

“It helped me understand career paths and the skills I need to get there.”

“It has made a difference to me because I only attend school in the morning. I have become more confident and tried to push myself and listen to everything. I don’t have many friends and always react to people trying to wind me up and I think on the course I have become more mature and took a step away from listening to what others say and try to believe in myself.”