Following the retirement of Liz Connolly FRSE as Principal & Chief Executive of West College Scotland, who in her time gave great support on the Board of DYW West from 2018, we are delighted to share that Anne Campbell, who has recently been appointed as the new Principal & Chief Executive, has joined the board.

Anne commented “I am delighted to be joining the DYW West Board. DYW West, through its extensive network of employers, provides our young people with inspirational opportunities and experiences. It is a vital part of our skills system, and I am proud to be able to contribute to its strategic direction”.

Jim Hannigan, COO at National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and chair of DYW West said “West College Scotland has been an outstanding host for DYW West since January 2016 and we are thrilled that Anne has joined the board, building on the great support Liz contributed over many years. Myself, our fellow board members and the DYW West team led by Bob Davidson look forward to working with Anne.”

Diodes Incorporated is currently recruiting for two exciting apprenticeship roles at their Greenock site:

• Equipment Engineering Apprentice

• Quality Engineering Apprentice

These positions offer a valuable opportunity for individuals interested in starting a career in engineering while gaining hands-on experience within a global semiconductor company.

Applicants are invited to submit their CV and a covering letter to gfabrecruitment@diodes.com 

Download the job specifications below

European Circuits recently welcomed a new team member, James Wallace, who has joined their Assembly Department shortly after completing his exams at Our Lady & St Patrick’s High School.

This is a great example of a local employer investing in the future workforce by providing meaningful employment opportunities for young people in the community. By supporting school leavers like James, European Circuits continues to demonstrate its commitment to developing the young workforce and encouraging local talent to thrive within their sector.

Congratulations to James on his new role!

This week, our team delivered STEM boxes to all primary schools in Inverclyde as part of Inverclyde STEM Festival, kindly supplied by Thermo Fisher!

These boxes were packed with fun, hands-on STEM activities to inspire young learners.

A big thank you to Sheena at Thermo Fisher for arranging this fantastic resource once again!

Our flagship STEM West event will return on the 17th & 18th November 2025 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!

If you’re interested in showcasing at STEM West 2025, please click here to complete the attendance 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 taylor.mcateer@dywwest.co.uk

Thanks!

We recently attended Renfrewshire Connect, where we had an exhibitor table at the event and the opportunity to network with local employers and organisations.

It was a fantastic day filled with insightful talks and great conversations.

Only 1 week to go until the next DYW Marketplace Spotlight session on Tuesday 29th April from 3:45 - 4:45pm.

This session is open to educators, careers advisors and other professionals who work with young people, to learn about some of the current opportunities available through Marketplace.

Click here to find out more

As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 25, partners across Renfrewshire introduced a hands on initiative designed to challenge perceptions and broaden awareness of apprenticeships among senior phase pupils.

Many young people are unsure about apprenticeships or may not have considered them as a career path. To change that, pupils were given the opportunity to spend a day with an employer, shadowing an apprentice to gain real insight into what the role entails. They learned about entry routes, qualifications, salary expectations and the key skills employers look for.

This initiative was made possible through the collaboration of Skills Development Scotland, Renfrewshire Council and DYW West, with support from several leading employers across targeted sectors:

Logistics & Transport: The Malcolm Group
Construction: City Gate Construction Ltd, Taylor Wimpey Plc, Thomas Johnstone Ltd
Early Years: Renfrewshire Council (Foxlea Nursery)
Engineering & Manufacturing: Howden, Rolls-Royce, Altrad UK, Scottish Leather Group
Automotive: Arnold Clark

Students from Park Mains High School, Gryffe High School, Castlehead High School and Linwood High School took part and were awarded certificates by their host employer and apprentice as recognition of their participation.

Following the success of this initiative in Renfrewshire, Skills Development Scotland has published an article on the impact of the project and is encouraging more employers to get involved. If your company has an apprentice and would be interested in offering a similar experience, please register your interest via the link below.

A huge thank you to all the employers who welcomed pupils into their workplaces and to Suzie Scott, Michael Morgan, Yvonne Ward and Emma Stockan for their support in making this initiative happen.

The best way to challenge misconceptions about apprenticeships is through real experiences like this. Providing young people with direct exposure to the workplace helps them see the opportunities available and the value apprenticeships can offer.

Read the full SDS article
Employers: Get involved across Scotland

East Renfrewshire Council is inviting local businesses to their Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Employer Breakfast on Thursday 8th May 2025.

This event will be held at Eastwood House, Windsor Suite – Ballroom and offers a valuable opportunity to connect with education professionals and discuss how you can support the future workforce.

To register for the event, please contact : vocationalprogramme@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk

Barclays recently welcomed around 80 pupils from Renfewshire schools to their Glasgow campus for their "B in Tech" event.

This event, previously delivered for pupils across the West Region, encourages young people to consider Computer Science as a National 4 or 5 subject and highlights the exciting career pathways in the tech industry.

Throughout the day, pupils took part in interactive activities, offering a fun, hands on look at the endless possibilities a future in tech can offer.

A huge thank you to the Barclays team for delivering such an engaging and insightful event, with one more session still to come!