Adam Smith College helps students develop skills

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Students wanting to widen their career options and get better opportunities of employment are starting to take advantage of European Social Fund (ESF) supported projects like “Employment Ready”.

The project, available through the Adam Smith College (ASC) in Fife, supports those who want to move from unemployment to jobs in the service industry by enabling them to develop core-learning skills and increase their awareness of new opportunities.

Joanne Kelly from Dundee was one person who has taken advantage of this opportunity. With an ambition to have a career in Communications/Business, Joanne made the grueling 65 mile round trip from Dundee to an Adam Smith College open day last year.

Having found that she was eligible to join the “Employment Ready” project, she immediately enrolled onto an NHC Communication programme. With the support of Chris Muirhead, Employment Co-ordinator at ASC, Joanne found the perfect job placement with the Central Development Team at Dundee City Council.

She was able to gain first hand experience of interviewing and writing articles for the “Stobswell Post”, the local community newsletter. Joanne said that she enjoyed the experience and found that the placement had been of great use to her.

“It has allowed me to experience what it is like putting together a professional publication”, Joanne said. “All the staff have been really helpful, I can also add this to my CV and would recommend this to anyone thinking about attending a work placement through the support from the ESF”.

Chris Muirhead, Employability Co-ordinator at ASC, commented: “The benefits to students like Joanne are that, working on their behalf I can make the initial contact with the employer, encouraging to consider the student, emphasising the qualifications and experience of the student, and offering support to both the student and placement provider”.

“The partnerships formed help everyone concerned ““ the student gains work experience and a possible job, the employer has an extra pair of hands and I have a positive outcome.”

Irene Watt

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