Promoting Gaelic Careers and Training Opportunities for young people
Gaelic speaking pupils are being invited to an event aimed at encouraging them to consider job and training opportunities using the language.
The Gaelic Careers event, ‘Siuthad’ has been organised by The Highland Council and Skills Development Scotland and will be held in Inverness on Tuesday 19 March at Eden Court.
More than 90 Secondary 2 and Secondary 3 pupils from schools across the Highlands as well as pupils from Oban High School in Argyll and Bute are expected to turn out for the ‘Siuthad’ event that will promote the range of opportunities available to Gaelic speaking pupils when they leave school.
A number of Gaelic organisations will be present and staff will be available to inform the pupils of the career opportunities available within the Gaelic sector. Officials from the creative sector, including BBC radio and MG ALBA television, will also be at the event along with publishers, translators, education professionals and early years’ specialists.
As well as well as being informative, the event aims to be fun for those attending as they will get the chance to participate in a range of interactive activities including drama workshops, writing workshops, games, quizzes and IT initiatives.
The day will start with the Provost of Inverness welcoming the young people and then a presentation by the 2012-2013 Gaelic Ambassador, Ruaraidh MacLean entitled - ‘Alba–Dùthaich Làn Chothroman’ -‘Scotland – A Country full of Opportunities’.
Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry welcomed the opportunity to promote the language to young people. He said: “We are fully committed to promoting Gaelic language and culture and our Gaelic Plan sets out the aims and ambitions we have and, importantly, how these will be realised. To achieve our aspirations we have a strong focus on actions for our young people.”
“Supporting young people from the Highlands with their career choices from an early stage is an important part in establishing what paths they wish to follow. The Siuthad! event will provide an opportunity for young people to see what opportunities are available when they leave school and help them to decide whether a career in the Gaelic economy is for them.”
Councillor Hendry added: “As successive research reports have demonstrated, pupils who are bilingual develop a range of mental benefits that make them better at learning and it can ‘open doors’ to many career opportunities.
“I am sure the event will be a success and I congratulate Skills Development Scotland for supporting the Council to ensure that the outcomes will benefit the young people who are attending from secondary schools across the Highlands.”
Seonag Campbell, Skills Development Scotland’s Area Manager for the Highlands and Islands said: “In this changing world of work, it is important that young people gain qualifications, develop skills and become really capable at sourcing information about careers and work opportunities.
“Having a qualification in Gaelic opens doors to a whole range of courses and work opportunities, locally, nationally and internationally.
“It is important that future generations are enthused, able and willing to celebrate their role in the resurgence of the language and to recognise that Gaelic is an asset in their skills profile.”
Minister for Scotland’s Languages Dr Alastair Allan MSP said: “A Gaelic Careers Day is a great opportunity for pupils to fully appreciate how valuable a language they already speak can be in getting a job that excites and interests them.
“I was lucky enough to visit a similar event in Stornoway last year that was very successful. Events like these are a clear demonstration of the vitality of the Gaelic language in our communities and the number of employers taking part is a testament to how the incorporation of Gaelic services and products can benefit businesses and the wider national economy. I would also like to commend Highland Council for extending the invitation to pupils from Argyll and Bute and I hope the interest around this event will encourage others across the country to offer more pupils the same opportunity. ”
A range of other national organisations will also be at the event including Sabhal Mòr Ostaig/UHI, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Northern Constabulary, NHS Highland and Creative Scotland.