A TOTAL of 110 Fife schoolchildren have signed up for a scheme aimed at getting them ready for the world of work.
Career Ready, a social mobility charity empowering young people by connecting them to the world of work, has launched its annual 18-month programme for S5 school students across Scotland.
The Career Ready programme which has been supported by Diageo across Scotland for the last ten years, inspires and supports young people at risk of not fulfilling their true potential due to their socio-economic circumstances, ensuring they have the skills and opportunity that allow them to thrive in their journey from education into employment.
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Cabinet Secretary for Skills and Education, Jenny Gilruth, joined young people from across the Kingdom as they met their work-based mentor for the first time at the launch event at Carnegie Conference Centre .
She said: “The Scottish Government recognises the hugely valuable role a mentor can play in the education and career journeys of young people.
“Through offering mentors for high school students, Career Ready is giving young people an opportunity to develop their professional skillset as they study, and to learn from the experience their mentors have to offer.”
Figures have shown that 98 per cent of Career Ready participants move into a positive, post-school destination following the 18-month inspirational mentoring relationship along with a crucial paid internship while still at school.
The Fife school students join over 800 other students from 155 secondary schools and 18 local authorities across Scotland embarking on the 2023 programme.
Anne Wexelstein, Director for Scotland, from Career Ready said: “The growth of our network and partnerships is a testament to our vision that every young person should have the opportunity to progress to a positive post-school destination and succeed in the world of work, regardless of their background.
“Our partnership with Diageo is a significant one which is now in its tenth year. Since the partnership started, Diageo have directly empowered and supported 377 young people who reflect a social mobility profile.
"It was fantastic to see the mentoring relationships getting underway in the room today with such enthusiasm. Congratulations to them all for getting underway.”
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