Day in Industry - next chapter 2023

Day In Industry 2023 - building on last year's experience

Following on from the successes, feedback and lessons learned from Day in Industry 2022, ALIenergy once again teamed up with project partners from Developing the Young Workforce Argyll (DYW) to create an exciting work experience opportunity for senior phase students with an interest in STEM subjects. Pupils in years S5-S6 applied from the three high schools in our main project area of Mid Argyll and Kintyre. 

Delivering the project benefitted hugely from the input and assistance of staff from each of the three high schools, as well as from Argyll and Bute Council. Working together this wider team helped ensure the promotion of the available experiences to interested young people and encourage them to submit an application. One significant break from 2022 was that this year's project aimed to bring a more focused and personalised experience for each successful applicant with a selection and interview process which aimed to get the best fit between them and the companies who agreed to host them. The project team were really grateful to secure the participation of seven STEM businesses around the area, hosting between one and three pupils for their Day in Industry:

The days themselves were a huge success for both companies and young people alike, and the team have been delighted with the feedback on how the experience has been of benefit. Spending time working alongside and talking to experienced professionals involved on a daily basis in STEM-related roles was a standout feature that the young people took away from it and fedback about to the team. There was also the fact that the days gave them the chance to really get to grips with actual tasks and see at firsthand the businesses and the whole spectrum of how their operations and processes are organised.

In the words of some of the companies themselves, the value delivered by the days was equally apparent:

It helps inspire young people unsure of what career path to take [and] lets them see what's possible locally. [It also] helps us attract the next generation of talent through the business at a time when companies are struggling to find staff.  Midton Acrylics

It was an opportunity to introduce, promote, raise profile and sell [the work we do]...and hopefully develop a future workforce.   Forestry and Land Scotland

It gives young people more of an idea about what businesses are in the area. There are so many innovative, small and medium enterprises around that can provide inspiration for those who are about to embark on the next stage. It's great for us to meet young people from local schools as we obviously hope to employ some of them in the future.  Beinn an Tuirc Distillers Ltd.

With over a third of all jobs in Scotland currently being STEM-related and projections suggesting that by the mid 2030s around 75% of careers will need STEM skills, the importance of connections like the ones achieved through Day in Industry is enormous both in the region of Mid Argyll and Kintyre that the Day in Industry team has worked in so far, and on wider regional or national levels. 

ALIenergy's hope is for Day in Industry to continue to be offered as a now established and regular part of the senior phase of education programme in the three high schools, through the ongoing support and input from DYW and its partners.