• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Training Kids Today to Find the Workers of Tomorrow Vocational Courses Give Pupils a Taste of Life in a Trade

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By JONATHAN PAISLEY

MORE than 1000 school pupils are taking vocational courses to prepare them for work. JONATHAN PAISLEY visits Motherwell College to find out why third and fourth years in Lanarkshire learn practical skills during school hours.

WHILE Scotland hunts for the next generation of builders, bricklayers and decorators, most of its potential workers sit staring at the same four classroom walls.

For years, all school leavers were left to make the giant leap from school to full-time work without any help - they would set foot on a building site or in an office without any experience or work- related skills.

But now more than 1000 youngsters aged 14 and up are preparing for the world of work during school time.

The ground-breaking scheme, called Skills for Work, aims to teach pupils practical and vocational skills such as plumbing and bricklaying, in between standard academic lessons.

Teachers say teenagers who sign up for the six-month workshops bring a new enthusiasm back to the classroom.

It is hoped schools all over the country will soon give pupils the chance to attend a local college once a week for similar workshops.

Danny Shearer is a course leader at Motherwell College, one of the first colleges to offer vocational classes to under 16s.

He said: "These classes are fantastic because they prepare teenagers for life outside the classroom. I left school on a Friday and started on a building site on Monday, with no idea what to expect.

"I didn't know what the job involved, if I would like doing it, or if I was suited for the work.

"The kids might not take these skills into the workplace but they learn skills they can use throughout their lives."

A total of 145 Scottish secondary schools have enrolled in the Scottish Executive initiative.

Pupils can choose courses in plumbing, painting and decorating, brick laying, or childcare.

Each workshop allows pupils to learn the basic skills of a trade - as well as other skills such as time keeping, discipline, and organisation.

The scheme comes as industry experts warn the Scottish property boom will create more than 25,000 vacancies for building industry workers by 2009.

Glasgow faces a likely shortage of 6500 construction workers, mainly joiners, plumbers and electricians, over the next few years.

John Small and Dale Bentley are both 14 but have already completed a six-month course in plumbing and are now studying painting and decorating.

John, a third year pupil at Lanark Grammar, said: "It's great because you are not stuck in a classroom all day.

"I don't think I want to do this as a career but I know that after six months, I will have a fair idea how to do it.

"It can sometimes get boring if you are doing the same sort of stuff every day at school."

Dale, who goes to Larkhall Academy, said: "I enjoy it because you are not treated like a kid. I look forward to coming here and it's the highlight of the school week. It is really useful stuff to learn."

Lanarkshire schools ask interested pupils to put their names forward for the workshops.

The majority of the teenagers who sign up are boys but course leaders hope to encourage more girls to enroll in the future.

Motherwell College runs the painting and decorating workshop in an adapted classroom each Monday. Pupils are bussed from their schools and return to their classrooms after lunch.

Each teenager who completes the six-month course receives a certificate from the college.

Education Minister Peter Peacock believes Skills for Work offers a lifeline to pupils who are looking for a fresh challenge.

He said: "Education must equip every child to realise their full potential. That means we must tailor what is taught in our schools and how it is taught to pupils' individual needs.

"Vocational courses offer valuable additional experiences for pupils of all abilities, helping prepare them for the future - whether that means further qualifications, training or employment.

"They can make their education more meaningful an relevant, keeping them engaged and opening their eyes to a range of career options."

INDUSTRY bosses see the initiative as being a major help in providing the construction workforce of tomorrow.

Hugh McCafferty, area manager of the Construction Industry Training Board, said: "The initiative will give young people a better understanding of what employers are looking for in terms of skills and abilities."

As well as offering construction workshops, the college plans to use its creche to offer nursery care training and other schools in Lanarkshire have adapted rooms into mini-beauty salons to teach hairdressing.

Mr Shearer, Motherwell College's curriculum leader, said: "These kids need self-discipline and respect to complete these courses. If they can acquire that, then they are on the right road, whatever job they choose."

jonathan. paisley@eveningtimes. co. uk

Source: Evening Times; Glasgow (UK)

More News in this Category