Glenurquhart Pupils Rise To The Challenge
Glenurquhart High School pupils will be given a taste of running their own business on 15th May when local business Cobbs, host a Food and Drink Schools Challenge event for all 40 S2 pupils.
The Schools Food and Drink Schools Challenge has been designed by Scottish Food & Drink, in association with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and Improve, the food and drink sector skills council for the UK, to develop productive links between secondary schools and local food and drink manufacturers. This is one of many partnerships between education and business which are being supported by the Scottish Executive initiative on Enterprise in Education, Determined to Succeed, currently being promoted nationally to business.
The students will work in groups to create a new traybake product for sale in Cobbs coffee shops throughout the Highlands, planning the production process and it’s ‘manufacture’, decide upon the costing, design an advertising poster, and even come up with a radio jingle to support their product “launch” at the trade fair which will end the day. Representatives from Cobbs will lead the groups through the one-day challenge and judge the winner.
The aim of the Challenge is to raise awareness of careers in the food and drink industry and gain an understanding of how a business works. The Challenge makes direct links to the curriculum so that pupils can see where subjects taught can be applied to a real job. In addition to supporting the curriculum, the Challenge builds a variety of skills and confidence as well as experience of working as a team to make decisions, which often involves improving their communication skills and developing a willingness to take responsibility and initiative.
Karen Brooks, Home Economics teacher said: “The event will be great fun for the children and give them a tremendous insight into the world of work, demonstrating the clear links between what they learn in the classroom and how this will be applied in the work-place environment. “
Moira Stalker, project manager for Scottish Food & Drink said: “Many youngsters do not see beyond the white hats and coats of the processing business, and are not aware of the diverse opportunities that are available in the food and drink sector, such as marketing, product development and so on. Through the Challenge we want to show what fun, creative and exciting job opportunities there are, and hope it will ignite a spark of interest in making a career in the industry.”
Jane Fraser of Cobbs, said: “The Schools Food and Drink Challenge is an excellent way of encouraging schools and food and drink manufacturers to work together more closely. It delivers a taste of genuine enterprise for the young people while also introducing them to the possibilities of attractive careers in the sector.”
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