OVER 1,600 pupils in Scotland will benefit from the second round of the Building My Skills employability programme.
The award-winning initiative, which brings together school pupils and prospective employers, launched with seven business partners in six schools last year.
This academic year Esh Border Construction has expanded the programme to encompass 12 businesses and 11 schools. Building my Skills will deliver 8,670 hours of education.
The aim is to equip school leavers with the skills they need to develop successful careers.
Esh has teamed up with: Beattie, the Creative Communications Group, Peace Recruitment, Brodies Solicitors, Peter Brett Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tesco, Rabbies tour operators, Ryder Architecture, Thomson Gray, Capita, Northumberland Theatre Company and Travis Perkins.
Simon Phillips, regional managing director at Esh Border Construction said, “Introducing our added value programmes as early as possible in our growth in Scotland was a key component of the business strategy.
“We did that with the commencement of the Building My Skills initiative last year. We had great support from the schools and businesses involved and are consequently delighted to announce that the scheme will almost double in size for year two. The primary aim of Building My Skills is to help prepare and motivate school pupils for the next steps in their lives and for the job market.
“The initiative would not work without the buy-in of our business partners and we would like to thank them for their continued support.”
Delivered across the academic year, students receive five one hour sessions from business people across a range of sectors.
The Scottish schools taking part are:
- St Augustine’s High School, Edinburgh
- Forresters High School, Edinburgh
- Preston Lodge High School, East Lothian
- Broxburn Academy, West Lothian
- Maxwelltown High School, Dumfries and Galloway
- Galashiels Academy, Scottish Borders
- Holyrood Secondary, Glasgow
- Graeme High School, Falkirk
- St Modan’s High School, Stirling
- Glenrothes High School, Glenrothes
- Woodmill High School, Dunfermline
