News & blog

Ask questions, learn from those around you and take every opportunity that comes your way. Andrew McRae of Acumen Financial Planning explains how he went from work placement pupil to Scotland’s youngest Chartered Associate Financial Planner.

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) North East has welcomed Mavis Anagboso as its new Chair. Mavis, who joined the board as Vice Chair in November 2023, takes over from James Bream, who has been Chair for the past three years.

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) celebrates its tenth birthday this year, however one North-east employer has been investing in young talent for several decades. For Morrison Construction, it’s an investment that pays off. A whopping 80 per cent of the current board, including its Managing Director, started their careers with the business as an apprentice or a trainee.

Mentoring. Internships. Apprenticeships. School partnerships. This is the territory of big corporates with dedicated early careers teams, right? Wrong. Katoni Engineering (Katoni), a family-owned, engineering consultancy is kicking that myth out of the park. This small company has a big personality, big ideas and a big commitment to the next generation. They call their approach The Katoni Way.

Setting up your own business might not be at the forefront of most school pupils' minds. Chloe Lawson bucked the trend by establishing Chloe's Kitchen Creations aged 17. As she explains, entrepreneurship may not be a piece of cake but it's a route that more young people should consider.

DYW North East has published its 2023/24 annual report, highlighting the growing amount of employer-led activity that is taking place in the region to inform and inspire young people.

As pupils across the North-east settle back into school this August, one Aberdeenshire-based organisation is doing much the same. Motive Offshore Group (Motive), a specialist in the manufacture, rental and servicing of marine equipment, sees its activity with the next generation as key to the organisation’s future growth and success.

As pupils across the country await their results on 6 August, DYW North East spoke to siblings Darren and Stuart Sutherland. Both now work in similar senior positions in the energy industry: Darren as Vice President for Europe & Africa with Borr Drilling and Stuart as Vice President, Well Services UK with Odfjell Technology. While a common love of – and flair for – athletics dominated their school experiences, their academic results and progression routes varied dramatically. Read on to find out more…

DYW North East has added three new faces to the team to bolster its efforts to connect the region’s employers and young people. Anna Blair, Michelle Robb and Lisa Turner join DYW North East as Employer School Coordinators. They will work closely with local organisations to encourage them to support and recruit young people.

A four-week placement at DYW North East tasked MSc Business Analytics student Izabela (Iza) Jarzab with helping the team translate the data we gather into real-time, meaningful reports that can be used to analyse and improve performance. Iza shares how she rose to the challenge.

Foundation Apprenticeships are the first step on the apprenticeship ladder for young people, combining learning with hands-on work experience. Amber Inglis from Port of Aberdeen shares her experience of mentoring Blair MacAulay, a senior pupil from Mackie Academy, during his Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills.

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) North East has made three new appointments to its board, extending the breadth and depth of its expertise across key sectors and disciplines.