Kingdom Group is excited to participate in Career Ready for another year, with three colleagues mentoring students from high schools across Fife.

Career Ready is a two-year program that empowers young people in S5 to kick-start their careers through a series of workplace experiences and a network of support. It is the only school program in Scotland that enlists support from employers to offer:

• A mentor from the world of work
• A four-week paid internship
• A series of skill masterclasses
• Workplace visits

The majority of students taking part in Career Ready are preparing to embark on their four-week paid internships with several employers, starting on 24 June. In preparation, Kingdom Group welcomed over 40 students from East and Central Fife last Tuesday to complete Masterclass 3 – Preparing for Work.

The masterclass was presented by Lee Herd, Kingdom Support and Care’s Recruitment and Staff Development Coordinator, and Jacqui Hoskisson, Kingdom Housing Association’s Lead Payroll Officer. It covered all the essential information students need to prepare for their internships, including topics such as workplace expectations, dress code, presentation planning, and how to set up a Direct Gov account to access their National Insurance numbers.

Lee Herd, Recruitment and Staff Development Coordinator at Kingdom Support and Care, said, “It has been great to deliver this masterclass to young people to get them ready for their internships. The internships give the students such an insight into the world of work, and from chatting with them during the masterclass, you could tell they have greatly benefited from the mentoring that has been ongoing since October 2023. This is my second time being a mentor as part of the Career Ready program, and I would recommend it to any employer who wants to make a real difference to our future workforce.”