OUR WORK IN SCHOOLS
We work in many schools across North Lanarkshire, helping young students prepare for the world of work, get excited about their futures, and gain valuable life skills. Our Skills Team is passionate about helping students who may be facing challenges in or out of school, and we're delighted to partner with school staff to support young people to transform their life.
What We Offer
We recognise that early employability intervention for young people is crucial so they can make the best career choices as they enter the world of work. We provide bespoke training & accreditation based on the young person’s needs, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and tools so they can step towards and achieve their chosen positive destination. Our work includes:
Pathways Programme
Our Pathways Programme, delivered on behalf of Education, is an initiative designed for young people who are early school leavers, to enable them to build employability skills and support them on their way to a positive destination, whether that's work, further education or training. Along with partners from North Lanarkshire Council and New College Lanarkshire, we work collaboratively across 3 sites in Motherwell, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld.
Under this programme, young people can gain a range of qualifications and get access to different types of support, in groups or on a one-to-one basis. Our Skills Team aim to help them build up the knowledge and skills that they will need to progress and flourish in the working world.
One teacher said: The boys are really enjoying your sessions and more importantly they are really benefiting from your inputs, It’s obvious you are picking up on the individual barriers they face and are positively addressing them with your delivery and materials / programme. In such a short timeframe you have really got to know them all well and have formed a great relationship with them. They genuinely enjoy the RTW sessions now.
Our Hubs
Routes To Work support the delivery and training within the North Community Learning and Employability Hubs across North Lanarkshire. The hubs, based in Newarthill, Cumbernauld and Coatbridge provide a service for young people aged 16-24, helping to develop them to move into work or further education. We deliver sessions on work skills, CVs, job applications, interview skills and wellbeing, amongst others.
Winter Leavers
Partnering with North Lanarkshire Council, New College Lanarkshire and local employers, we support 'winter leavers,' or pupils who leave school half-way through the academic year when they turn 16. We support pupils with the greatest risk of leaving school without a positive destination, helping them identify their aspirations and providing 1-to-1 support so they can successfully complete work placements.
One teacher said: This was a hugely positive experience for all of them and the results that you got from them was absolutely fantastic. Your friendly and approachable manner allowed the young people...gain your trust from very early on and helped them realise that the Routes to Work programme was very worthwhile for their future pathways and not just more 'school work'.
Other Schools Work
As part of Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) and our delivery of Future Fridays, our Skills Team support a range of high schools in North Lanarkshire. The pupils are supported in a variety of ways, including:
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Building their knowledge of employment
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CVs & interviews
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Expectations of the working world
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Wellbeing & confidence
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Opportunities to gain SQA qualifications, such as the SQA Employability Award