Workstart Rural Skills Students donned their PPE and passed their Lantra Petrol-Driven Brush-Cutter and Strimmer operator tickets, before heading to the Scottish Parliament for a skills showcase event, to celebrate recently.
With help from Lantra’s Future Foresters and Women in Forestry grants, supported learning students on the Forth Valley College Workstart Rural Skills course, focused on woodland conservation.
They attended TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) at Jupiter Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth for two days of training and all students and two staff – Andy Wake and Leanne Orr – passed the training, and are now licensed to use these tools professionally.
Then on Tuesday 29 April, some of the same students were invited along as ambassadors to the Colleges Scotland Reception at the Scottish Parliament. At the event they chatted to political and educational leaders about the value of what they’ve been doing, and they heard inspiring speeches, particularly from a Fife College student describing her own journey in the face of adversity.
Students Aiden Deme and Connor Walkington were invited to attend the Colleges Scotland showcase reception at Hollyrood, to celebrate their achievements.
The photo shows (from left to right): Connor Walkington (Student), Stacey Totten (Additional Support Worker), Aiden Deme (Student), Lucy Hawkins (Curriculum Manager, Supported Programmes), Andy Wake (Rural Skills Lecturer), Kenny MacInnes (Principal), Leanne Orr (Rural Skills Lecturer).
Forth Valley College Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “It was great to attend the Colleges Scotland Reception at the Scottish Parliament and to see our Rural Skills students and staff proudly showcasing the excellent work they have been doing recently. This new course has gone from strength to strength since it started last August and I am confident it will prove to be very successful in helping our supported learning students to go on to have great careers in the rural industries in the future.”
The new operator skills are set to benefit the Rural Skills students on their road to employment in Rural Industries. Three of the small cohort have used what they’ve learned so far to be accepted onto a Living Wage traineeship with TCV based on the John Muir Trail.
Lecturer Andy Wake, said: “It’s been brilliant to be part of these students’ journey towards land-based workplaces and for them to achieve these tickets will be attractive to employers. Along with an impressive set of academic qualifications, these supported learners have practised a really good range of rural experiences, picking up vital knowledge in conservation and other rural employment opportunities, working with estate managers, foresters, park rangers and National Park conservators, to learn practical and theoretical industry knowledge.
“I was chuffed not only for the students, but for some staff to receive grants to complete the training will be really handy for delivering this course in future.
“There were only twelve places nationally for the TCV John Muir Way traineeship, so to have three of our students employed onto it, shows that the skills we are supporting them to build have real credibility and value for their career in land-based industries.”
The Workstart: Rural Skills Pathway course – which is a one-year full-time course covering 16 hours of lessons per week - has been created in partnership with local and national rural employers and organisations. It is designed for young people with additional support needs, including care experienced young people, with a particular interest in practical outdoor work.
To find out more about the course visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/supported-learning/workstart-rural-skills
Story and headline by Lecturer Andy Wake.
