What a fantastic day celebrating the Year 3 graduation of DXC Technology's Digital Futures Academy! 

Pupils took part in an exciting Emerging Technology session focused on AI, gaining hands on experience with chatbot and app building, virtual reality, prompt engineering, an F1 racing simulator and an interactive AI quiz.

The celebrations also included the presentation of Year 3 certificates, alongside 11 awards recognising outstanding achievement and commitment throughout the programme.

Jim Hannigan MBA CEng FIMMM FWCS, DYW West Chair and Elma Murray CBE, Deputy Chair of the DYW Employers Forum, were delighted to present the Programme Engagement Award.

Thank you to DXC United Kingdom & Ireland for delivering another year of fun, engaging and inspiring experiences that help young people explore the exciting world of digital careers.

Congratulations to all the pupils who graduated from Year 3!
 

Clydebank High School and St Peter the Apostle recently had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a talk and tour with CCG.

Pupils were given a guided tour of one of their sites and had the chance to get involved in hands on activities, offering a valuable insight into the construction industry.

It was a great opportunity for young people to explore the world of work and gain first hand experience of a live working environment.

Thank you to CCG for hosting our young people and providing such an engaging and inspiring experience.

This month’s Employer Spotlight is Fleming Construction, nominated by Kirstene Maclennan from Park Mains High School.

Fleming Construction has built a strong partnership with the school, providing work placements and supporting young people’s learning and development. Through this partnership, funding was secured to create a mobile construction hub, giving pupils the opportunity to practise trade skills and build experience for future careers.

This partnership highlights the positive impact employer engagement can have on young people’s futures.

Click here to read more

Our flagship STEM West event will return on the 16th & 17th November 2026 at West College Scotland, Clydebank campus.

The aim of the event is to inspire young people to choose STEM subjects at school and give employers the chance to showcase their company or industry. Last year, we welcomed over 800 pupils from four of our local authorities (West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, and Inverclyde) along with more than 50 exhibitors!

If you are an employer interested in showcasing your company and can bring along something interactive or hands on for S2–S4 pupils to engage with over the two days, then we’d love to hear from you. Even if you can only attend one of the days, it would be great to have you involved!

Interested in showcasing at STEM West 2026? Please click here to complete the form

Remember, this isn’t your usual careers event – we’re looking for something hands on and engaging to capture young people’s interest.

If you have any questions, please email:
clarke.speirs@dywwest.co.uk or jan.mcmahon@dywwest.co.uk

Another successful few weeks for the GROW programme, with engaging sessions delivered by a fantastic range of employers.

Host employers and participating schools included:

DXC – Linwood High School
KPMG – Knightswood Secondary School
Taylor Wimpey West – STPA
Archaelogy Scotland – Inverclyde Academy
AC Whyte – St Lukes High School & STPA
Howden – Inverclyde Academy & St Lukes High School
Cloch Housing – St Columbas High School
McTaggart Construction – Linwood High School
Elderpark Housing – Knightswood Secondary School

Thank you to all participating schools and employers for your continued support and commitment.

This month, we attended Renfrewshire Connect at Paisley Lagoon, where we hosted an exhibitor table and had the chance to speak to employers and organisations from across the region.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us. 

Volunteers Week 2026 kicks off on 1st June and runs until 7th June!

Every day, volunteers are making a real difference to people’s lives, supporting communities and creating positive change.

There are also a range of free resources available to help you get involved and join in the celebration of volunteering and its importance across our communities.

Keep an eye out and get involved in recognising the amazing value of volunteers.

Get your free resources here

Our first ever employer spotlight employer is Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, nominated by Carla, School Coordinator at Clydebank High School.

Carla said that "SFRS offered our Young People within WDC an opportunity to experience a Firefighter For  Day FFAD offers young people a unique chance to step into the role of a firefighter  and experience the challenge, teamwork and responsibility that come with the job. Delivered by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service across West Dunbartonshire, this one-day programme is designed to be enjoyable, informative and confidence-building for all participants."

This fantastic initiative highlights the impact employers can have in inspiring and engaging young people through meaningful, real-world experiences.

Know an employer making a difference?
We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@dywwest.co.uk

We're inviting employers to take part in our Employer Takeover Campaign across our socials.

This is a great opportunity to showcase your organisation, highlight career pathways and inspire young people by sharing real insights into your industry.

We're looking to film short, engaging video content with apprentices/staff.

Ideas include:
Behind the scenes or day in the life clips
Role spotlights 
Quick Q&As
Myth-busting your industry
Career pathway tips

If you're interested in taking part then please email info@dywwest.co.uk.

Click here to watch our employer takeovers

Running from 11 May - 5 June, The Fiver Challenge, supported by HSBC UK, is a free, national enterprise programme that teachers can run with pupils aged 5–11 to build confidence, creativity and essential life skills, with the chance for schools to win up to £1,000 through competitions running across the four weeks.

Pupils receive £5 and create and run their own microbusiness, gaining hands-on experience in planning, budgeting, marketing and selling. Teachers are supported with flexible and free, ready-to-use downloadable resources that link across the curriculum. The programme is also mapped against the Skills Builder Universal Framework and accredited to Impact Level 3.

To find out more or register, visit www.fiverchallenge.org.uk or contact david.stewart@y-e.org.uk