Tag Archives: east lothian council

Staff Spotlight: an interview with Anne Mercer and Liliana

For this week’s Staff Spotlight, I sat down with Anne Mercer, a Volunteer Tutor with East Lothian’s Adult Literacy team, as well as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I also met with Liliana, a learner who is working with Anne to improve her English. The Staff Spotlight series aims to promote the hard work that the Adult Services team in East Lothian Works do, and to show the impact they have on the community.

Continue reading Staff Spotlight: an interview with Anne Mercer and Liliana →

East Lothian Works and SOSSTA’s Sea-Going Course

Today’s blog post will be focusing on the sea-going training course run by SOSSTA and East Lothian Works. This course covers four accredited SQA units at Level 2, and one voluntary unit. It gives young people the opportunity to introduce themselves to a range of careers within the seagoing industry, such as sea fishing, boat hospitality, engineering, and the Navy. The course itself covers:

  • Basic stability
  • Firefighting
  • Sea survival
  • First aid
  • Health and safety

Young people learning about the sea-going industry is really important in East Lothian, as being near the coast is such a huge part of the Local Authority’s tourism industry and economy.

We asked a student who had participated in the course what they thought:

What made you decide to take part in the Sea-Going course?
I thought it might be good for helping me with some of my jobs, and it would be quite good on my CV.

How did you find the experience?
I thought it was quite good to learn about the things that this course covers.

What was your favourite part about the course?
Probably learning about what you would have to do if you abandoned ship.

What are you doing now?
Going on tall ships, and doing surf lifesaving club.

Individuals wishing to take part in this course must be between the ages of 16 and 21, and cannot be in education, training, or employment. They must be a resident of East Lothian, have a genuine interest in the sea-going industry as a career, and must be committed to undertaking practical and classroom based learning.

If you would like to find out more, contact Connie McLaren – cmclaren1@eastlothian.gov.uk – or Kathleen Renton – krenton@eastlothian.gov.uk – or telephone 01620 827 262.

Keep up to date with East Lothian Works:
Twitter – twitter.com/EL_Works
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Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Blathnaid Quinn

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we will be talking to Blathnaid Quinn, one of East Lothian Council’s Adult Services Tutors. Having worked with adults in the local area, teaching Literacy, Numeracy, and working on Employability, Blathnaid is an important figure in the community when it comes to these subject areas, and therefore she seemed like the perfect person to speak to in order to learn more about this service.

Continue reading Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Blathnaid Quinn →

Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Gary Mitchell

In this week’s Staff Spotlight, we will be talking to Gary Mitchell, an Employment Adviser at East Lothian Works. Having worked in the field for ten years, Gary is a key figure when it comes to employment for young people in the Local Authority. Therefore he seemed to be the perfect person to speak to in order to learn more about his job role at East Lothian Works. Continue reading Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Gary Mitchell →

Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Alastair Hendry

This week’s Staff Spotlight will be focusing on Alastair Hendry, Employability Support Officer at East Lothian Works. Having been a member of the team since September 2018, Alastair has been working hard to provide employment support to adults in the county. I sat down and asked him some questions: Continue reading Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Alastair Hendry →

Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Andy Stuckey

This post marks the beginning of a new series on this blog. We will be focusing on members of staff in East Lothian Works that work with adults and young people out of school in order to aid them in finding employment. Each week we will delve into the work that the individual in question does, and how it may help you in the future. This week, we are focusing on Andy Stuckey, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Coordinator. Continue reading Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Andy Stuckey →

Tantallon Castle Visit

A group of East Lothian Works’ young people took a trip to Tantallon Castle the other day, giving them the opportunity to visit one of East Lothian’s most iconic landmarks. The trip took place to allow these individuals to expand their knowledge of the local wildlife and local history. The students had a fantastic time on the visit, finding out new information that they didn’t know before. This trip was planned as part of East Lothian Works’ Activity Agreements programme, which aids young people in learning new skills and gaining new experiences.

The young people admiring the view from Tantallon Castle.
The young people admiring the view from Tantallon Castle.

If you’d like to find out more about other activities these young people have experienced, have a read of our photography exhibition post here.

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An Interview with a Modern Apprentice

Modern Apprentice Cameron Shaw was kind enough to take time out of his day to answer my many questions I had about him, and his experiences as an apprentice at East Lothian Works. Modern Apprenticeships give those no longer in school the opportunity to earn a wage while also getting an industry-recognised qualification, and invaluable work experience. If you’d like to learn more, check out Skills Development Scotland’s page on Modern Apprenticeships here.

What is your current job role and where do you work?
I am a Modern Apprentice in Business Admin at East Lothian Works; East Lothian Council’s employability hub.

What Modern Apprenticeship did you undertake?
I did the Modern Apprenticeship in Business Administration.

What made you decide to do a Modern Apprenticeship
I wasn’t interested in taking part in further education, and I wanted to get into the world of work. I thought that doing a Modern Apprenticeship would be a good opportunity to do this.

How are you finding the experience?
It’s great – I’m really enjoying it!

What benefits have you found to being a Modern Apprentice?
I like that I can learn while earning money at the same time. I’m also gaining experience which can be valuable in the future.

Are there any disadvantages to doing a Modern Apprenticeship?
I can’t think of any!

What did you do before this?
I was at high school before taking part in the Modern Apprenticeship.

Do you know what you want to do once your Apprenticeship is finished?
I would really like to get  a full-time contract with East Lothian Council to continue doing this line of work.

Do you have anything you would like to say to those continuing undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship?
Definitely go for it! It gets you straight into employment and the work environment.

I would like to take this time to thank Cameron for answering my questions, as I know his schedule is quite busy. It is greatly appreciated!

Keep up to date with East Lothian Works:
Twitter – twitter.com/EL_Works
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