An alternative curriculum pathway offering school pupils the chance to sign up for a 10 week programme out of school in venues across Fife is a great success.
I visited one of the sites at the Lochgelly Miners Institute this week where 3rd and 4th year pupils are undertaking courses in construction, mechanics and engineering and heard first hand from the students on their experiences.
Community Trade Hub, a social enterprise offers a range of provision on sites in Lochgelly, Buckhaven and Leven for pupils wishing to gain out of school experience leading to SQA qualifications in a wide ranging curriculum including Construction, Hospitality & Cooking, Mechanics & Engineering STEM, Horticulture & Environmental Management.
The organisation operates across Fife supporting 11 secondary schools via alternative curriculum pathway giving provision to around 600 pupils per year and now has a considerable waiting list as more young people sign up to do the course.
I met with pupils from Woodmill and Queen Anne High Schools and saw how the work of the Community Trade Hub gives young people an opportunity to access particular skills in a non-school environment and thought it was a massive success. Pupils are able to gain SQA qualifications but more importantly it gives them a chance to try their hand at different skills and career options as well as giving them the knowledge of what school qualifications they will need to achieve a career in their chosen discipline.
For many pupils I spoke to this is a real opportunity to try out different skills and it creates a pathway towards a career and better informs pupils what they need to do to gain apprentices and a career in the world of work.
Community Trade Hub has been able to secure private funds which is supplemented by direct funding from schools for each pupil and this year they are fully booked up. I have written to Fife Council and the Cabinet Secretary for Education to highlight the success of this work and to seek further funding.
At a time when there are many challenges in our schools I believe this type of approach gives young people a real opportunity to experience the kind of skills they will need to follow a career and enhances the school offer.
