A programme helping school pupils across the UK to find the right career path is being piloted in the north-east by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils with support from BP and other local businesses.
Career Academies (CA) is a business-led charity working to bridge the gap between education and work by giving school children experience with businesses through a two-year programme.
Five schools – Gordon Schools, Peterhead and Portlethen academies in Aberdeenshire and Oldmachar and Kincorth academies in Aberdeen – are taking part in the pilot.
The focus in the north-east is on science subjects to help build a pool of home-based talent capable of filling some of the skills gap in the oil and gas industry.
Ten pupils from each school will begin the programme this September at the start of their 5th year.
Over the course of the two years, local business partners such as BP will help mentor pupils and provide motivational lectures and workshops, as well as a five-week paid internship.
The aim is for students to gain work experience and skills to better prepare them to choose their career pathway.
The CA programme was first introduced in London in 2002 and came to Scotland more than two years ago.
The scheme has had a high success rate across the UK, with more than 85% of pupils either going to university – often the first in the family to do so – or directly into employment or work-based learning such as an apprenticeship or a school leaver scheme.
Alec Carstairs, who recently retired as senior partner at Ernst & Young, has been appointed chair of the north-east CA Advisory Board.
He said: “This programme is all about partnerships between young people, schools and businesses and will help make things happen for young people who have strong aspirations.”