NEARLY one in five 16-to-18-year-olds in Scotland want jobs in the Medicine and Health sector when they finish their studies.

As one of the biggest pieces of research of its kind in Scotland, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) surveyed almost 11,000 S4 to S6 pupils for its Pupil Voice research. 

Nurse, mental health worker, paramedic, midwife and physiotherapist were among the Healthcare related job roles picked out by young people. 

Jobs in the Creative Industries including photographer, musician and designer came a close second place in the research. Roles in Engineering, including mechanical and electrical, complete the top three most sought-after sectors.

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, and Minister for Higher and Further Education, Graeme Dey, spoke to young Scots about their career aspirations earlier this month as part of Scottish Careers Week.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “It’s fantastic to see from this research that young Scots are ambitious and knowledgeable about their future careers. There are lots of positive opportunities for school leavers to explore and we are investing in dedicated careers support through SDS and the Developing the Young Workforce network.

“I’m grateful to the many people, employers and organisations across Scotland who are working collectively together to support young people into the world of work.”

Neville Prentice, SDS Senior Director of Delivery, said: “This research provides definitive insight into the career aspirations of young Scots, and I think many industry leaders will find the information both surprising and useful. 

“We also know, from working closely with employers, that there is skills demand and exciting opportunities for roles in a number of sectors like engineering, where young people can join the drive towards Net Zero. 

“However, what’s important is that, regardless of where young people see their future, they are supported to develop the career management skills that will help them make informed choices not just as school leavers but throughout their working lives.”

Professor Karen Reid, Chief Executive, NHS Education for Scotland, said: “I welcome the findings of Skills Development Scotland’s Pupil Voice Research. It’s encouraging that young people are already thinking about specific job roles available in the health and medicine sector. 

“The NHS is one of the largest employers in Scotland with over 350 careers to choose from and not all roles need a university degree.NES is increasing education, training and promoting apprenticeships for young people, supporting them to be better prepared for the world of work and to understand the career opportunities available. 

“We work closely with Scottish Government, local government, health boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, the higher education sector, regulators, and other partners to create new roles and services and develop new and exciting career pathways for future generations.”

As the national skills body, SDS delivers Scotland’s careers service in schools, in centres, community venues and online. The Pupil Voice research also allows pupils to offer feedback on the careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) services they get. 

SDS’s expert Careers Advisers, who work in every school in Scotland, are highly rated. Pupils surveyed give high satisfaction rates across the board with how they’re getting support, such as group or one-to-one sessions. 

The results also show that school careers services have been effective in helping young people develop the skills they’ll need to plan and navigate their careers. 

The Pupil Voice survey was carried out alongside a similar survey for parents and carers, with more than 4,000 respondents from across Scotland.

Results show parents and carers are interested in finding out more about the types of skills needed for future jobs, the range of learning and career options as well as Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.

Top of mind for parents when it comes to a career for their child is what their child chooses to study, what they enjoy and what they’re good at, chiming in with the career management skills young people are picking up via careers services. 

They were also keen to find out how best to support their young people to find a job. With SDS careers website My World of Work getting positive feedback as easy to use with a good range of tools and resources.

Neville Prentice added: “This research is a ringing endorsement of the work SDS careers advisers across the country and offers us robust feedback to continue to build on the excellent services we provide.”

For information on the career information, advice and guidance available to people in school and beyond, visit myworldofwork.co.uk

------------------------------------------

Catering for the needs of firms with ambition  

A KIRKCALDY-BASED company was able to pursue their business ambitions thanks to the help of Skills for Growth.

Lovat’s, a catering engineering company for 35 years, was bought over by husband-and-wife Michael and Pam Floyd in July 2021. They had plans to extend the services provided and ultimately grow the business.

Pam, a director with Lovat’s said “Many of our clients are local authorities or universities, so we started off with a really good client base. We wanted to expand the business and include facilities management as part of our growth.

 Husband-and-wife team Michael and Pam Floyd grew their catering engineering firm Lovat’s“We were introduced to Kathryn Hill from Skills Development Scotland by Samir Rhazali at Business Gateway. Having Kathryn come into our lives was just the best thing ever – the timing was perfect. We took the business over in July and were introduced to Kathryn in the August.”

Skills for Growth is a fully-funded service for companies with between five and 250 employees and helps employers identify and understand their skills needs. A detailed Employer Action Plan is developed with guidance towards the most relevant training, funding and local business support which is based on their identified skills needs. 

Pam said: “We had a call with Kathryn, and we then underwent a process of speaking with staff to get their insight into challenges they faced and ways to make Lovat’s a better place to work. We then got a people skills action plan, followed by an employer action plan.

“Actions from the plan included accessing funding which allowed us to undertake some training. We were introduced to Fife College as a learning provider for our Modern Apprenticeships.

“At the moment we have three apprentices – two doing business admin and one engineering apprentice. This supports our strategy of not only creating jobs in the Fife area, but also creating apprenticeship opportunities.

“We got involved with Fife Healthy Workplaces, helping signpost us to things for staff, like bereavement counselling services, and we’ve undertaken leadership management courses and recruited a new Operations Director to support the day-to-day running of the business.

“We’ve been put in contact with a number of initiatives which we wouldn’t have been aware of if it wasn’t for Skills for Growth. We also got access to funding which enabled us to upskill our engineers.”

Pam continued: “Kathryn is always there to help and support us. If we do need some help, we just get in touch with her. She’s still there supporting us.”

Kathryn Hill, Employee Engagement Executive with Skills Development Scotland said: “From my first introduction with Mike and Pam they showed such a passion to bring the staff onboard with their growth plans. This meant identifying skills gaps and looking at ways to have the best foundation to enable their plans.

“Their workforce was always at the heart of everything, and this has been proved over the years I have been working with them. I’ve really enjoyed watching them go from strength to strength.”

The company has recently opened an office in Midlothian as part of their business growth. They’ve gone from having 30 employees to now having 48. Pam added: “I would absolutely 100% recommend Skills for Growth to other businesses. It’s made a massive difference to us as a small business. It’s been wonderful for us and our staff.”

To find out more about Skills for Growth and how it can help your business, visit employers.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk or call 0800 783 6000