Planning for the Future Launched

Young people across Orkney who need help applying for jobs, apprenticeships or college courses can access support from a new programme created by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Orkney and Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

​The ‘Planning for the Future’ career management programme is free and includes resources that young people can use if they need help writing a CV, applying for a college course, apprenticeship or job or preparing for an interview.

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The programme has information which will help young people with making decisions, develop their career management skills and prepare them for their next steps.  It also shows where young people can find local opportunities that are available in education, training, employment and volunteering.
 
‘Planning for the Future’ has a mix of presentations, short films, activities and resources to help young people identify their next steps, write their CVs, complete applications and prepare for interviews.  Core to the programme are resources from the national career information and advice website My World of Work.
 
Rachel Scarth, Project Manager for DYW Orkney, said:  “At the end of last year, along with our partners, we conducted a youth employment survey to find out how COVID-19 had impacted young people and their options regarding education, training and employment.  Respondents told us that they lacked confidence when it came to applying for jobs, and the main areas they struggled with were interviews, writing CVs and completing applications.
 
“We hope these resources will support young people in their job searches and application process, equipping them with the tools to help them move into education, training or employment.”
 
SDS Careers Adviser Samantha Craigie said:  “Planning for the Future is a programme we usually deliver in school to support young people who will be leaving at the end of the academic year.  This year, due to coronavirus restrictions, we are delivering the programme to pupils virtually and making all of our resources available online.
 
“We decided to open the programme up to everyone, including those no longer at school.  We have created a suite of resources to support people through the key stages of the job search and application process.  People can focus on the areas they need the most help with, or they can work their way through the whole programme if they prefer.
 
“While Planning for the Future was developed with school pupils in mind, these are skills we need throughout our working lives so people of all ages will find the resources useful.”
 
The Planning for the Future resources can be accessed on this website, here.
 
SDS Careers Advisers are on hand to provide career information, advice and guidance to people of all ages.  If you are looking for further support, you can contact the local SDS team by phoning (01856) 872 460 or by emailing [email protected].