Our young people take part in interesting activities and experiences which increase their employability. We work with the Volunteer Action Angus, Saltire Awards and the John Muir Trust, amongst other organisations, where skills can be developed and nurtured and qualifications acquired.
We support and enable our young people to start up their own bank account – an aspect of life which some young people may find challenging without suitable identification. We have partnered with our local council and Santander Bank, who trust and accept a Young Scot card as a form of identification, to facilitate this service. We help our young people apply for their Young Scot card when they come to Rossie, this process has been made as simple as possible and is now carried out online alongside Angus Council.
We work in partnership with Skills Development Scotland. Two advisors visit us monthly to do group work with our young people or provide 1-1 sessions. They help our young people plan for employability, build skills in team working, and prepare for any placement, volunteering, work or college opportunities coming up. We delivered our first Career Day event in April 2019, which Skills Development Scotland helped us to establish.
We have formed positive links with our local College who are always happy to meet with our young people, discuss their hopes for their careers and guide them to the right course. The College has been very accommodating to our young people allowing them to fit into various courses throughout the year on a timetable that best suits their individual needs.
Our young people have the opportunity to sign up to Saltire Awards (Scottish Governments national youth volunteer awards) when they first come to Rossie. The Scottish Government celebrate, recognise and reward the commitment, contribution and achievements of young volunteers in Scotland aged between 12 and 25. Our young people gain nationally recognised certificates signed by Scottish Government Ministers, for the different amounts of volunteering they do.
Voluntary Action Angus are very supportive of our young people. We have established a positive working relationship with them which provides our young people with further opportunities in the community. This enables young people to further develop their skills, meet new people and build confidence while having fun doing something they enjoy.