WorkingRite works in communities across Scotland – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, East Ayrshire and Argyll & Bute – delivering a mentored training and work placement programme for young people to become work and life ready. Our programme provides them with the soft and hard
skills needed to bridge the gap between school and a fulfilled and happy
working adulthood. This involves an induction phase – preparing and training young people for the area of work they want to pursue, followed by a mentored work placement in a business they are interested in. The ultimate goal is for this to lead to an apprenticeship place, job or further education. For those that complete the programme – 80% succeed in doing this.
Despite the restrictions, so far more than 20% of the young people participating in the programme have successfully begun apprenticeships. In the previous year this was 30%.
This year, during Apprenticeship Week, the focus was on preparation for
starting a placement and working towards an apprenticeship. Sessions
were all done on zoom – and covered topics such as choices, perceptions, first
impressions, benefits of working, planning & preparing for work, key skills &
qualities, strengths and CV writing. In addition, many undertook online training – including the CSCS card, customer care, retail skills, manual handling, asbestos awareness and COSHH.
We rely on SME businesses in the local communities to provide the mentored work placements and it is because of the amazing relationships we build all of our partners – and their belief in the WorkingRite programme and our young people – that we have continued to secure both placements and apprenticeship places. And that belief means young people are able to build their future through apprenticeships.