We want our young people to live their best lives. To find, grow and use their own talents and really reach their full potential. To do that, MCR Pathways are now delivering Talent Tasters to complement our award winning in-school mentoring programme.
Talent Tasters give young people the chance to try out the job of their dreams and for many of our young people – that job is in the trades. So, where else would we go to meet their needs than one of Glasgow’s best construction trades organisation – City Building.
And, wow, they really delivered!
City Building is a hugely successful construction company based in Glasgow. They’ve been instrumental in building some of Glasgow’s most iconic new buildings and supported hundreds of regeneration and investment projects across the city. They are also the largest employers of apprentices in Scotland with 350 current apprentices being trained in their academies and on-the-job. They recently formed a groundbreaking joint venture with housing, care and property management giants Wheatley Group.
Scores of City Building staff are already mentoring or working towards becoming a mentor and they have already delivered a number of Talent Tasters and have scheduled in many more.
The first full day of City Building Talent Tasters was at the end of November – one of the last sessions delivered in 2016 by the team.
Ian Hazelton, City Building’s Senior Joinery Instructor took two ‘Carpentry and Joinery’ sessions for up to seven young people from schools across Glasgow. The sessions took the young people through their paces, making picture frames (mitres).
In the spirit of our #HelpingHands campaign, Ian, Pathways Co-ordinator Danielle Campbell and Talent Taster team member Wendy Jordan got stuck in to helping the young people with their task. They had to measure, mark, saw and hammer the lengths of wood into the exact shape of a picture frame, or mitre. It might sound easy, but the angles, measurements and cuts have to be exact. Ian explained that basic ability in wood working would serve the young people well if they applied for an apprenticeship.
Ian went above and beyond, quizzing the young people on how they behave at a job interview, what they would wear and coaching them on the importance of literacy and numeracy in the trades. He changed some young lives that day.
One of our Pathways Co-ordinators said: “My young person has come back pretty focused and clued up that he needs to “screw the nut” – his words – at school or he won’t get too far in securing an apprenticeship on leaving.
“The lecturer seems to have made quite an impression on him. His year head is very happy that he went yesterday and uncovered a passion.”
City Building will be delivering even more sessions in the second tranche of Talent Tasters including Construction, Plumbing, Electrical Installation and more Carpentry and Joinery. We can’t thank them enough for their support!
Could your organisation help by delivering Talent Tasters in a rewarding career? To support our Talent Taster programme, alongside our partners such as The Herald, simply Get Involved.
We have more young people than ever signing up for Young Glasgow Talent’s help. They need mentors to make a huge difference to their confidence, educational outcomes and future life chances. Can you help them? Find out more about Becoming a Mentor.
We’re always looking for new mentors to reach all the new young people who are coming on board with the programme. Help us spread the word by letting your friends and family know how worthwhile mentoring can be!
