Career Inspirations at The Royal Highland Show with Lantra

Lantra Scotland has highlighted, at this year’s Royal Highland Show (RHS), why it is fun and rewarding for young people to seek out a career in the land-based food and drink industries.

Hosting a workshop at the RHS today, Lantra Scotland demonstrated, to the dozens of school children who attended, why Scotland’s countryside and employers need an enthusiastic and skilled workforce coming through the education system and why young people who are hungry for a job in the land-based sector can really benefit.

The workshop, whose speakers included George Taylor, farmer and MD of Taypack, Modern Apprentice Finlay Ross, Barry Graham, Head Teacher of Wallace Hall Academy and Moira Stalker from the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, highlighted the versatility, variety and interest that awaits those keen to pursue a career in the land-based and food and drink sectors. 

Lantra invited one of the Apprenticeships in Scotland enterprise apprentices along to their workshop, Shannen Scott, Youth Opportunities Apprentice said “The day was very inspirational and it was fantastic to hear some of the journey’s the speakers have went through to get where they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed Finlay’s contribution about his Modern Apprenticeship in Agriculture”

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Millie Rowe's Cake-Making Venture is Helping her get to Scotland for an Apprenticeship

Millie Rowe's baking dream is looking sweet.

The young baker and cake decorator, of Timaru, has secured herself a scholarship from Southern Hospitality and an apprenticeship to work in Scotland.

While her scholarship will not take her far from home, her apprenticeship will: to the other side of the world, to work at Scotland's acclaimed Fisher and Donaldson bakery in Fife.

Millie's scholarship will put her through a patisserie course at Aoraki Polytech in July, before she travelled to Scotland in January.

But for now, her main priority is raising the money to go. To do that Millie, 17, has been making cakes to order and already, her small business venture is proving profitable.

A fortnight ago she raised $1500, after costs, selling 400 cupcakes on the streets of Timaru in celebration of Valentines Day.

The young entrepreneur said she has no regrets leaving school at the age of 16 to pursue her career.

"I love doing it. It's my passion." READ MORE

The Scottish Government Help School Leavers Gain Vocational Skills

The Scottish government is to set up a commission to improve the vocational skills of young people.

 

The group will look at vocational education and careers advice in schools and how they prepare young people for employment with the skills required for their region.

It will also study how to persuade business and industry to take on young people just out of education.

The group, chaired by Sir Ian Wood, will report back next year.

In 2011 the Scottish government appointed Angela Constance as the first youth employment minister in the UK, pledging to deliver 25,000 modern apprenticeship opportunities each year.

Alongside Sir Ian, former chairman of the…READ MORE