Recently, Scottish Leather Group welcomed pupils from Gryffe High School, St Benedict’s High School and Mary Russell School for talks and tours at their site in Bridge of Weir.

These experiences give young people a valuable insight into the workplace, helping them discover different career pathways and understand the opportunities available within local businesses.

A massive thank you to Rhona and the team at Scottish Leather Group for providing another fantastic experience for our young people and continuing to support the next generation of talent. 

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. 

Engage Renfrewshire are hosting a Volunteer Fair on the 30th April, from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the Tannahill Centre, Paisley.

This is a great opportunity to connect with local organisations and explore a range of volunteering opportunities.

Click here for more information and to register

A huge thank you to Scottish Leather Group for hosting site tours at their Bridge of Weir facility for 7 schools over 4 days as part of Renfrewshire Employability Month.

A special shout-out to Mark Cowan and Rhona Ferris for giving so much of their time and helping make this happen.

The schools selected pupils with an interest in STEM and manufacturing, and feedback from the tours was 100% positive.

Another big thank you to Emma Stockan from the Renfrewshire Council Education Team for all the logistical support.

If you’d like to get involved with DYW West, get in touch by emailing info@dywwest.co.uk

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.

Renfrewshire Connect 2025 takes place on Thursday 15 May, 10:00am– 4:00pm, and is free to attend for anyone interested in discovering local opportunities and building new connections.

This annual networking event welcomes attendees from across Renfrewshire and beyond, bringing together a wide range of exhibitors from multiple sectors. This is an ideal opportunity for school leavers and young people to learn more about different industries, explore career pathways and gain insight into specific job roles.

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!

To celebrate Renfrewshire Employability Week, we had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre with pupils from schools across Renfrewshire!

It was an inspiring day for the students, learning about cutting-edge innovation and career possibilities in the manufacturing industry.