Elgin pupils impress in Ideal Candidate search

A TRIO of secondary pupils will get an early insight into the world of work after being selected as 'Ideal Candidates'.

Millie Whitta was named winner of the 10-week employability programme, run at Elgin Academy in partnership with Robertson.

She will be joined on an official work placement at the construction, infrastructure and support service company's by fellow students Logan Glynn and John Wood.

They were among S4 pupils who undertook Ideal Candidate workshops focusing on social media, CV writing, interview techniques and presentation skills.

Robertson Northern's managing director Frank Reid said: "We have a great relationship with Elgin Academy and many of our staff are former students of the school including our executive chairman, Bill Robertson.

"Our Ideal Candidate workshops are run by our community development team and aim to prepare the local school pupils for the world of work.

"We equip these pupils with a range of skills which they can hopefully use to show themselves in the best light as they enter the job market and we always enjoy welcoming some of the participants to our Elgin headquarters for a work placement with our team."

Since launching the initiative in 2017, Robertson has collaborated with over 30 Moray businesses who have provided around 500 S4 pupils with the opportunity to attend a mock interview as part of the programme.

Head teacher Kyle Scott said the scheme was now a firm part of the S3/4 curriculum.

Mr Scott said: "Elgin Academy’s close link with Robertson has grown and developed over the past three years and is part of the employer/education partnership structure to Develop the Young Work Force.

"We are very lucky, as a school, to be able to embrace this partnership and continue to work closely with Robertson on a number of skills and career related activities which are embedded into our curriculum, ultimately to better prepare our young people for employment or entrepreneurship."

Established in Elgin in 1966, Robertson has since grown to include over 22 businesses and directly employs over 2500 people.

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