Apprentice Day 2010 At Highland Council

20th April 2010

The Apprentice Day ran for the fifth time this year on Wednesday 17th March 2010. On the day, young people from all parts of Highland got the chance to play the "Apprentice" by shadowing senior officials within the Highland Council and partner organisations, Northern Constabulary, Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service and NHS Highland. This year, HM Prison Service, Cairngorms National Park Authority and two of the Highland Council's Children and Young People's Champions, Councillor Jaci Douglas and Councillor Linda Munro also got involved.

Members of Highland Youth Voice, the youth parliament for the Highlands, have found this event to be a great way of developing their awareness of what services are out there in Highland and allows HYV to link with policy makers and decision-takers. On the day, Highland Youth Voice members helped to raise awareness of Highland Youth Voice and local youth forums; to explore the relevance of services to young people, and to inform senior managers on young people's perceptions of the services they provide.

The day started in Inverness at 10:00am and involved young people in a range of meetings and business in and around Inverness, the day then culminated in a discussion reflecting on the day.

Convener of the Highland Council Sandy Park said: "We actively encourage young people to get involved in their local communities and put across their views on a wide range of topics. Their input can shape the way public services are delivered. The Apprentice Day is a great opportunity to find out a bit more, first hand, how the Council works and how the confidence and new skills they are learning can be transferred into a work situation. I am certainly looking forward to meeting Rowena Carlton and I wish all the young people taking part a successful and productive day."

The day was organised by the Highland Council's Highland-wide Youth development team, including Magnus Monahan, Highland Youth Convener. Magnus noted, "Having been involved in the Apprentice day as a youth voice member for the past three years I know what a valuable experience it can be. However this year the boot will on the other foot as I've got an apprentice of my own! I'm sure the day will be a great success and I hope both the officials and young people can learn something from it"

Feedback from the 'Apprentices' and 'Alan Sugars' who took part….
Councillor Linda Munro, The Highland Council
'I learned that Rory is clear in his thinking and strong in his opinion. Confident in his pursuit of his identified goals and unafraid to hold his position in the face of
others who would have you think differently. Thank you for being you - I learnt a lot.
As a result of this day, I have learnt to be more relaxed and coalface working in my direct work with Young People.'

Rory Forbes, Dingwall
'I wanted to experience a Councillor's normal day. There was a lot of discussion about the upcoming cuts for Highland Council spending. Young people are going to have to be aware that some of their services will have to be cut. Especially in the Education, Culture and Sport service where a lot of cutting is going to take place. This is not a time for young people to be asking for more, but a time for them to ride the storm along with all other age groups.

I also got to meet some of the behind-the-scenes youth development team. The amount of work that goes on behind the scenes for young people is surprising and I think they should be made more aware of what is done for them.
It would be a good idea for young people (HYV or SYP) to get together and draw up their ideas for where exactly they would like to see cuts (e.g Health or Education). The budget leader was very interested in where we would like cuts to be made and if he could be presented with young people's priorities then it could be very helpful for the difficult decisions that must be made (Highland Council must cut the budget of around £800 million by 12%). Here we have a perfect opportunity for young people to be heard and for them to shape the council's near future.'

Councillor Jaci Douglas, The Highland Council
'I learnt that Young People and Laura are very well informed and articulate and confident - and that they come about their communities and help affect real change for the better. Also that young people appreciate the difficult choices Councillors have to make and the difficulties balancing core services with cultural and arts projects.
I have really enjoyed my day - I have been so interested by Laura's enthusiasm and intelligence and interest in all aspects of the role. I will try to help make sure that we consult more effectively and honestly with our Young People and trust that they are able to understand and make complex and challenging decisions - inspirational!'

Laura Atkinson, Nairn
'During my day I discovered many things about being a Councillor which were unknown to me before hand. The many decisions that are made daily, which the majority of times there isn't a "right" decision, amazed me as I didn't really realise how hard they were to make, and all the different possibilities you would have to think of. It isn't as easy as I first assumed. One of my meetings with Cllr Jaci Douglas was with the Budget Manager, in which these decisions were made clear. My opinion was asked for frequently, which made me feel involved and glad to have my opinion voiced but also benefit the Councillors who took part - and the Budget Manager himself - as they got a youth's perspective on different situations.

I also attended a meeting at the prison based on drugs and alcohol. I found this very interesting as new schemes and ideas were being discussed which benefit the public and were unknown to myself at the time. We also visited an allotment site which was in the process of being renovated to a place for homeless people, and people with former addiction troubles, to take part in gardening and also learn new skills. I thought this was a fantastic idea as it would build up their confidence and get them back into a routine which would hopefully reduce the risk of a relapse.

We also got given a tour around the Townhouse with the Provost and met many different people. Everybody was so welcoming and friendly and interested in receiving a youth's opinion on many different topics. This ensured me that many people working for the Council are genuinely interested in a youth's view and actually value our opinions.
Cllr Jaci was lovely, and I really did enjoy spending my day with her. We got on well, and were always finding something to chat about, aswell as drinking many cups of tea! I really enjoyed taking part in the Apprentice Day, and it really did help my understanding of life in the Highland Council.'

Magnus Monahan, Youth Convener, The Highland Council
'I learnt a lot about Gemma's work with sensory awareness. She is involved in lots of different organisations (Haggeye, Scottish Youth Parliament etc) and is clearly committed to what she does. We also had some interesting discussions around engaging Young People in politics and lowering the voting age etc.
Gemma has agreed to run a workshop at the June HYV Conference.'

Gemma Mackintosh, Ardersier
'I learnt about the work of the Youth Convener - general day to day stuff. I found out a lot about the Education Culture and Sport Service and how it works/runs. I discovered a lot about preparation for Youth Voice events.
I believe it's a well run department with extremely competent staff. Magnus does his job well and promotes the service in a positive way. I learnt a lot about the youth participation structure aswell.'

David Abernethy, Governor, HM Prison Service
'I got to know a little about Ickey as a person, his plans for the future, his views on some of the issues we were presented with during the day. Ickey told me about Youth Voice and his role. We met two other "Apprentices" at a meeting in the prison and I was impressed with the depth of their passion for some of the perils of being young - particularly around the areas of gang violence, drugs, alcohol and crime.
I would be happy to host other Young People interested in finding out what we do to try to help prisoners avoid coming back to prison. I would also be content to be shadowed again next time.'

Ickey McDonald, Inverness
'I thought that it was very good and I learnt about the way of life in prison and what it is like. Prisoners are just like you and me. I heard from one prisoner leaving the prison and he was just really normal.
The Governor was very helpful as well and I thank him alot.'

Scott Hay, Area Manager, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
'I found out how Highland Youth Voice engage in the political process and the levels of influence locally and nationally.
I am now considering the HYV as a means to promote and/or influence HIFRS Youth Engagement Strategy. I will also consider also their involvement in delivering or providing feedback on our delivery models - HIFRS and safer Highlander and Islander.'

Alice Cameron, Glenurquhart
'The Fire Service is a lot broader than I thought. There is so much to know and I only know the half of it. It has been a great experience. My mentor has been great for me and showed me everything I needed to know and I would be grateful if the Fire Service would work with Highland Youth Voice because I learnt the Fire Service is doing a lot to help Young People and prevent fire. HIFRS, Safe Highlands and Islands Projects and I personally think it would be great if we could promote these and also to possibly create new opportunities for Young People.'

Jan Baird, Director of Community Care, NHS Highland
'I learnt that Esther was very interested in Health issues. She had lots to contribute to NHS with an understanding of what Young People want and need. Want to be included in planning of Health Services.
Interested in identical dimension to the NHS.
Establish more meaningful engagement of Young People eg groups of Youth Voice going into the prison to experience loss of control, meet prisoners, drug addicts. Take this to the HADP, many attract Young People who wouldn't attend a talk or lecture.
Look at field study approach for D&A, experiential not enforcement.'
(Jan also wrote up an article re her Apprentice Day experience for an NHS newsletter.)

Esther Richards, Scourie
'I found out the different stages of help given to dying patients in the Hospice and how the Hospice and the NHS work together to meet the needs. It was reassuring to know the people making tough decisions are also really caring and have people's best interests at heart. I learnt much more about the NHS budget and how to use the money given in the best possible way and whether it works or not. I also learnt how the Police and Prison Service work with the NHS to help young offenders try to help themselves and how they support them once they go back out into society, like drug and alcohol problems. I finally visited 'The Bridge' Service where people from the NHS and Social Work Services help Young People who have been expelled, who may suffer from different problems eg abuse, alcohol, drugs and general assault. Thank you for the day.'

Stuart Black, Director of Planning & Development Service,
Highland Council
'I was very impressed with Iain who seemed to enjoy the day with the Planning and Development Service. He accompanied me to a presentation on Tourism in the area to a group from Wales. He answered a question on Young Peoples' attitude to tourism in the Highland very clearly and confidently.
I am going to try to be involved more in Highland Youth Voice activities. I do have 3 daughters aged 11-16 at home! Highland Youth Voice is a very positive feature of the Council and the Welsh visitors were impressed!'
Simon Hindson, Graduate Planner, Planning & Development Service, Highland Council
'Iain had some very good ideas about policy development and planning. He has very balanced views on difficult matters. I'm keen to get the Highland Youth Voice more involved in the planning process in Highland. Iain has a keen interest in renewable energy and the way forward for energy production in Scotland.
I will now make a more formal arrangement between Planning & Development Service (esp Development planning) and the Highland Youth Voice to gather views of Young People on Planning.'

Iain Brown, Kinlochleven
'I learnt much more about the different aspects of Planning and Development. I learnt about the various ongoing and upcoming projects. I was shown how the committee meetings work and goes about its business and found it very interesting to finally see what they actually do and what it covers. I believe that it
is a very unknown or foggy area to work in for young people and there should be more encouragement or involvement to do it as a career as it is very interesting and if you get involved in that type of work, it can be a real and valuable contribution to your area/country.'

Jane Hope, Chief Executive, Cairngorms National Park Authority
'I learnt why young don't get involved in activates related to the park ('don't care' and 'transport'). I also learnt about Sophie's life dreams, that she is passionate about volunteering and the issues of Young People. Highland Youth Voice is a good way to have the views of Young People listened to. Too few Young People have little interest in local or national politics.
I'm now thinking about a training event for Young People - (opportunities involve Jaci Douglas and Lucy Grant) - especially through CNPA training projects.
Sophie to be included in NPP consultation in Aviemore - May/June.
I am happy to come and talk to others.'

Sophie Lawson, Kingussie
'There are around fifty members of staff that work in the CNPA alone. They work on things like gamekeeping to social inclusion. They are keen to involve Young People a lot more. Everyone's very busy and attend loads of meetings. The CNPA are involved with and work with other National Parks. The CNPA fund a lot of training. Businesses are also involved with the National Park. They also have projects to help Young People living in the park such as affordable housing. The park works with a number of partners. The CNPA also give money to promote heritage and culture. They also provide transport.'

Brian Williams, Head of Corporate Finance, Highland Council
'It was a pleasure to spend the morning with Mark and to exchange information on our respective life / work experiences. Mark has clear ambitions to secure a plumbing apprenticeship but is well aware of the difficulties in doing so in the current economic climate. In 2008, he and a group of fellow pupils from Nairn Academy took part in the 'Dreams and Teams Malawi Exchange' visit - the first school in Scotland to undertake such a visit. The pupils successfully raised £30k for the visit and presented the Malawi students with sports equipment and kit. Mark found the visit extremely enjoyable and beneficial to be involved in cultural exchange and friendship development through participation in a range of educational and sporting activities. A second visit is planned for June 2010 which will require a further £60k to be raised. Mark is also about to visit the Amazon as part of a Duke of Edinburgh award initiative.
We touched briefly on Highland Voice which is a powerful medium for youngsters to meet with one another and with those whose decisions can have a significant influence on the lives of others. We also discussed developments within Nairn Academy and related these to new schools built under the PPP initiative.
It is pleasing to note that Mark shows the qualities of the great majority of our youngsters - pleasant, outgoing with a keen sense of purpose - and I wish him well in his future career development.
I will encourage my colleagues to participate in future 'Apprenticeship Days' as there is much to be gained by all.'

Nigel Rose, Finance Service, Highland Council
'Mark is currently attending Nairn Academy and is studying for two Intermediate 2 Exams. He is looking to take up a plumbing apprenticeship when he leaves school and has already had some work experience with a plumber in the Nairn area. He lives in a fairly remote rural location, between Nairn and Grantown. He is pleased that he passed his driving test very recently which will help him get about more, particularly as he has purchased a car (a VW Golf which runs on cooking oil and diesel). He passed his test the second time but had previous experience driving his father's Landover from the age of 11 on the estate on which he lives. Mark has a keen interest in shooting.
Mark has attended Malawi with other pupils from Nairn Academy in order to teach sports leadership which will enable sport to be more widely available to all but particularly to the female population which doesn't participate. An exchange visit also took place. Not only is Mark looking to return to Malawi this year but he is also planning a trip to the Amazon as of his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. He is looking at fundraising in order to make this possible and has some clear plans as to how he will achieve this.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Mark. He is not looking at a career in Finance but I still found that he was very keen at getting an understanding of how the Council operates. He was very polite and friendly with a good sense of humour. He attended an Audit Team meeting and my colleagues later commented to me as to how pleasant and outgoing he was. I really enjoyed his enthusiastic and positive nature - that came over in everything he spoke about and was quite refreshing. I really would like to wish him every success in all his travelling this year and in finding an apprenticeship.'

Mark Bain, Nairn
'What I learnt when I was shadowing was just how much work goes in to every department within the Highland Council. Following the Manager of Finance was really interesting for me because it was something that I don't know an awful lot about - ie how the money is dealt with on a day-to-day basis, what they do with the money that comes in and goes out all the time. It was really interesting.
The Manager of Auditing was also really interesting because again it was something that I didn't know a lot about either which I suppose is the aim of the day. It covers such a wide range of activities.
Overall, I really enjoyed my day and thanks again for allowing me to be part of this.'
Ian Bryce, Superintendent, Corporate Services, Northern Constabulary
'I discovered that Siobhan is very knowledgeable about inter-agency and partnership working across a varied range of subjects, that young people are passionate and committed to things that really matter to them. They also
take a very close interest in new issues and are not afraid to speak out and say what is on their minds. I found Siobhan intelligent, constructive and eager to learn new ideas/practices/opportunities.
I thoroughly enjoyed having my 'apprentice' for the day and was able to show an
insight to the work of our organisation. It was refreshing to see a young person's view of the organisation and a potential officer in the future (after she gets her degree from university).'

Siobhan McCulloch, Ullapool
'I shadowed Ian Bryce, the Superintendent in the Corporate Services department of the Police. It was a really interesting and informative day, as not only did I learn about Ian's job, I also got to speak to various people working in all different departments in the HQ. This was particularly useful to me as I plan to join the police after doing a degree in Primary Teaching at Aberdeen University.
I particularly enjoyed being in the control room in the Force Information Management Unit (FIMU) which is headed by Chief Inspector Paul Eddington from Ullapool :). While we were in this department there was live calls coming in to the officers manning the phones which was quite exciting!
I attended a training session with some probationary officers, who had just completed their 15 week course at the Police College in Tulliallan. I had the chance to speak to them before the training session started which I thought was beneficial as they had a completely different perspective compared to the more senior officers that I had spoken to earlier in the day. They were all getting ready to start their new posts that they had just been assigned to, and it was pretty wide-spread - Stornoway, Inverness, Dornoch, Wick and Alness.
We then went over to the police station on Burnett Road so that I could see the operational side of things. I was taken around the cell block that they have there, which has 42 cells. (I was informed that they have never filled them all since it was extended to 42 cells!)
I also visited the Riot and Firearms units, and got to see the riot gear and some of the guns the Firearms Dept. use, which I didn't like! It was quite an eye opener to see the sort of equipment they use, especially the size of some of the guns! (the riot gear is very rarely used in Northern Constabulary though, apart from for training purposes).
Overall, I found it a fantastic opportunity for me to find out as much as I could from lots of different officers within the force and really give me a feel for what I might be doing when I eventually join up. Ian was amazing and answered any question I asked him, and really gave me an insight into his job and all the work that goes into just one day of his hectic schedule.'

Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive, The Highland Council
'The "apprentice" gave me a really interesting insight into what young people are facing today. I don't often get the chance to hear directly what is of concern to people at school, and about their aspirations for the future.
Alishya was very confident and showed a real interest in what was going on at the Senior Management Team and later in the day had the chance to attend a briefing with elected members about cultural events in the city.
I learned that young people today appear to have great confidence, are fun to be with, have real style, and are not afraid to communicate their views.
I would like to maintain contact with Highland Youth Voice and have arranged that as part of the Council's budget consultation process an item on this is included on the Highland Youth Voice Conference agenda in June.
I would also like to continue to take part in the "Apprentice Day" in the future.'

Alishya McStay, Kingussie
'I had a really enjoyable day shadowing Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive of Highland Council. I was very nervous about the day to begin with as he is, of-course the Boss! However when I was introduced to him, he made me feel very at ease and comfortable in such an intimidating environment. He asked me if there were any questions I was keen to ask and told me to let him know if I was lost in any of the topics they discussed in meetings. Before I started the day I wasn't really sure what Mr Dodds job really was, and how hands on he was with decisions made in the Highland Council, especially on those that affected young people. He went on to give me a breakdown of the roles and services that the Highland council offer, I was amazed at how much everyday life is involved with these decisions. Also which became apparent to me was the scale of people involved in the task.
I realised that there are lots of job opportunities in the Council - interesting jobs which would be great for young people to aspire to- to make them aware of the people and what they do.
Money was a hot topic on my apprentice day, it made me think when they talked about, 'not a lot' but they were talking about 'lots of money' to me! It made me
think about how young people could have some sort of an input on cuts and increases especially in services such as ECS that directly affect young people.
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of modernising the Highland Council is looking towards in the near future. Web casting and Videoconferences - the idea that these will help the environment by cutting down the use of cars for travel, also more convenient. Thanks again for a great day and the opportunity.'

Ian Murray
'I learnt about where Jamie was from, why his family moved to Lochcarron, his aspirations to follow his father in to Outdoor Education, his intention to attend Inverness college to pursue this.
In response to this an application to a government sponsored 6 month outdoor education post was suggested. A visit to the Council's outdoor centre at Badaguish, near Aviemore was also offered.'

Jamie Bassett, Lochcarron
'I shadowed Ian Murray. He was a nice man. We were in a meeting where they talked about government stuff.
He was a tall man driving a mini which was cool.'

The Highland Council Convener, Cllr Sandy Park
'It was a pleasure to have my apprentice, Rowena Carlton, follow me around for the day. She was very interested in all aspects of the working of Highland Council and was very keen that the Youth Voice of the Highlands is heard.
I found Rowena to be a very interesting young lady who will have a bright future.
I would like to continue supporting Highland Youth Voice, also to continue supporting Youth Convener in the Highland Council.'
'It is very important to encourage young people to get involved in their local communities.'

Rowena Carlton, Nairn
'I found it really interesting how there are so many sections which make up the Highland Council; it covers such a wide range of areas! Also, I saw how the process goes within, of discussing and debating topics to be implemented and updated in the coming years, so it opened my eyes a little just to how much they do. We did no work experience at school, and though it was only one day, I found it really worthwhile seeing what the Highland Council working environment and procedures are like. I also met other teams such as Public Relations and the Policies team, and found them very helpful and interesting as to their input into the Highland Council, things that I see all the time I'd have never really thought about twice - such as the Graphics team's work on the Highland Council logo and how it is presented. The Policies team was interesting to see such a wide range of things they cover - from the census, to culture and diversity. I also learnt how the Highland Council now runs alongside political parties, and how staff are adjusting to this new way of working. Thanks for a great day!'

In their role as a Highland Youth Voice members, the young people involved in the day have been encouraged to promote the day and information gained to other young people in their areas - for example, in school assemblies, youth forums, other youth groups and ward forums.

For further information contact Audrey Anthoney or Magnus Monahan, Highland Council Youth Development team, 01463 702043.