Learning in Partnership

In 2009 we reported on the shared ambitions of the Scottish Government to give the young people of this country a positive attitude to life and work. Two years on the Governments focus on the delivery of education has resulted in many changes including the new Curriculum of Excellence www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum which encourages innovation into current teaching practices.

Working in partnership with key organisations is one way to bring the world of work into the school environment, in the form of enterprise and employability. This approach is adopted by the Lomond Group as part of its “wider role” responsibilities.

The Lomond Group have always been proud of their record of engaging with education establishments, sharing our skills, knowledge and abilities with the young people [and staff] who hold the future success of this country in their hands. And with such a responsibility placed on the shoulders of young and old, the role of mentoring is important, a role which the Lomond Group take very seriously.

The Lomond Group has and remains supportive of various education initiatives and academia in general in recognition of the need for knowledge transfer with a focus on career development. The Group are committed to and still undertake:

• Presentations at nursery, primary and high schools;
• Guest lectures at universities and colleges;
• Judging, advising and delivering presentations in support of the curriculum;
• Work placements; and
• Apprenticeships and working with Government agencies (click here to read Mark McLelland story)

The early years witnessed engagement in education wherever we worked and this formed the basis for partnership working. Lomond Group CEO Phillip Ritchie reflected on the past and the present:

“despite ongoing business pressures we always found time to speak and interact with the people in schools, colleges and universities, assisting young people, when we can to maximise their potential. The world of work is difficult and during these austere times if we can make it easier by motivating, inspiring and/or advising people we will. We found that true partnership working was not easy to come by; it appeared that schools lacked understanding of what advantages partnerships can bring. But our perseverance has been rewarded.”

Despite early attempts at securing a partnership [in its truest sense] opportunities were few and far between but our work continued knowing of the benefits it can bring to the young people of Fife, Scotland and the UK.

Caskieberran Primary School

Lomond Group has cemented this committment by forming a partnership with Caskieberran Primary School, Glenrothes. After a number of presentations at Fife Schools we were rewarded with positive engagement from Caskieberran Primary, a school inspired under the leadership of Head Teacher Mrs Alison Henderson. Our work with them still continues to this day. To read more on the development of this partnership, a story of national and local success click here for more information

The Adam Smith College

The Adam Smith College was launched in 2005 with the merger of Glenrothes and Fife College. Approximately 35000 students are accommodated, supported by around 900 staff members, making the college the third largest in Scotland. There are four main campuses and several local learning centres located in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Leven which offer a wide range of courses. Students can choose from subject areas such as engineering and science, hair and beauty, business management and care studies. At Adam Smith they have ensured that there is a course to suit everyone, from full time education to study at home, their courses can be adapted to suit even the busiest of lifestyles. Over a four year period up until 2011 the College have spent over £20,000,000 on new facilities to ensure that students have the best opportunity to access the latest equipment for learning.

Lomond Group supports further education with a strong partnership developing with the Adam Smith College. To learn more about the college visit their web site:

www.adamsmith.ac.uk

And to find out more about Lomond’s involvement click here