Leaping to the aid of CHAS

For the past 12 weeks the Tryst Centre in Dunfermline has played host to 12 students on a Carnegie College course, run by tutor Jayne Gray from the School of Communities and Learner Development. The ‘Leaving Education Alternative Programme’, known as LEAP, is for young people aged 16-19 and covers motivation, confidence building, and core skills up to level Intermediate 2 covering communication, numeracy and information technology. Employability skills, team building and an enterprise/citizenship project are undertaken through activities and practical projects. During the summer an enterprise project selling fresh water pearl jewellery gave students the experience of running a small business, from stock taking, marketing and organising a sale, with the profit they made going towards funds for the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). A sponsored walk across the Forth Bridge on a very blustery day in August also added to the funds, and on the final day of their programme, when they were celebrating their achievements on the course, they presented Mr Carson Gillies from CHAS with a cheque for £238. Six members of the group also achieved a Youth Scotland Bronze Award for their work in these activities. Their challenges were supported by Community Education workers who came along half day a week to record time spent for evidence requirements for the Youth Scotland award. Tutor Jayne Gray remarked “This has been a great group of young people to work with and they have been very successful in their outcomes. Five are continuing study at Carnegie, three on a Get Ready for Work course, one training in construction and another in hospitality. The remainder of the students have been recommended to other training providers for Get Ready for Work programmes. A new group has started this week, and I’m really looking forward to working with them and plan to do a similar type of programme.” Published : 16 September 2009