Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, Ayrshire schools and partners

Schools: Ardrossan Academy; Carrick Academy; Doon Academy; Garnock Academy; Greenwood Academy; Irvine Royal Academy; Kilmarnock Academy; Kilwinning Academy; Largs Academy; Loudoun Academy; Marr College; Prestwick Academy; Queen Margaret Academy; Robert Burns Academy; St Joseph's Academy; Stewarton Academy
Partners: Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce; DYW Ayrshire; Franco British Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Project: Franco British Chamber of Commerce event
Date: June 2023

Project summary

16 Ayrshire schools joined a unique virtual event organised by Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Over 300 pupils from S3-S6 benefitted from this first of its kind opportunity and heard the experience of 3 young French interns at the Franco-British Chamber. The discussion covered, in English, the key sectors in France, the cultural differences between France and UK and what France is like for young people today. The presentation ended with a question and answer session where the pupils were encouraged to use their French speaking skills to form a discussion with the interns. Talking with French citizens helped to bridge the gap between education and the world of work.

This initiative raised awareness of the different opportunities in France, encouraging pupils to continue with their language studies, and the organisers hope that this will be the first of many similar events.

Verification comments

It is a great pleasure to award our first Scottish Languages Employability Award to Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and 16 Ayrshire secondary schools for this innovative and inspiring collaboration. Congratulations!

I had the pleasure of attending this online event and it was great to see the high-quality discussion and information that was shared in both French and English, both orally and via the chat box. Use of an online platform was ideal in this scenario; in fact such an event could not have taken place otherwise. Learner engagement was evident throughout and feedback from teachers supports this. The fact that learners worked in advance to prepare questions to ask in French meant that it was firmly tied in to learning and teaching in schools and included elements of culture as well as language, thereby adding richly to the curriculum.

The impact of this event is huge in terms of the number of learners reached and the quality of the messages shared. It is an excellent model for other organisations such as Chambers of Commerce and DYW co-ordinators to follow. Congratulations again to all involved!

Employment