A key aim of the Galloway Glens Scheme is to encourage young people to see their working future here in Galloway. 11 young people have now benefitted from an work experience/intern role, working with a variety of hosts in the region. On 14 th December, five of the current interns came together to meet each other, share experiences and consider their time working in Galloway.
The Event included Dan (previous Intern, now employed) & Alyx (current Intern), working with Galloway Fisheries Trust, Phoenix (current apprentice at Carsphairn Community Woodland), Phoebe (current Intern at CatStrand) and Thomas (current intern at Better Lives Partnership).
The young people had a chance to meet each other while taking a walk in the Galloway landscape and then shared experiences from their roles, and discussed their ambitions for their future careers.
The Event was overseen by Jan Hogarth, Galloway Glens Education & Community Engagement Officer. Jan said:
“It was brilliant to have this group come together to share their experiences with each other.
What came through very strongly was how the internship had helped them develop the skills and knowledge they needed to go from college or university into industry. Also, it was very clear from the session that the employers who are hosting the internships couldn’t have been more supportive of the young person they had taken on, providing training and industry specific mentoring to build confidence so the young people could make the most of future employment opportunities.”
Galloway Glens Team Leader McNabb Laurie met the group during the session, and added:
“The main beneficiaries of our Galloway employment projects are obviously the young people themselves, but it is much wider than that. The employers often benefit from hosting these roles, and we all benefit from an increased understanding of this topic.
We are now approaching a dozen of these roles supported – a number which might not seem earth-shatteringly large but is significant in our rural region. We have learned that the decisions behind whether a young person plans their career in Galloway are personal and complex. They should not be simplified to precise location, age or skillset. It really is a case of working to secure as many of these roles as possible, using our relationship-led approach with employers. This provides the most benefit, while working to challenge the perception that as a young person you either have to leave Dumfries & Galloway – or that you should not seek to return.
Massive thanks to everyone involved, including the hosts, our funders The National Lottery Heritage Fund, partner funders and the employers.”
The Galloway Glens is a 5-year suite of projects aimed at connecting people with their heritage, boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable, thriving communities. It is an initiative of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team funded by a range of partners including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Drax, the owner of the Galloway Hydro Scheme. More info: www.gallowayglens.org.
