Craigroyston Community High School teacher Elaine Gray has been chosen by Career Ready as the Santander Employability Champion 2017 for Scotland. The award recognises Elaine’s commitment to improving the employment prospects of her students, and she’s been praised for her ‘magnificent leadership and energy.’
The Santander Employability Champion Award, given by national charity Career Ready, celebrates the individuals who go above and beyond the requirements of their role as a Career Ready Coordinator to act as an ambassador for wider employer engagement.
Elaine said: “This award is important not only to myself, but to the staff, students and business partners who all work together, to give our young people the best chance of a positive destination. This recognition for our Career Ready programme is testament to the excellent relationships which exist in school, and out in the workplace.”
Craigroyston Community High School has been working with Career Ready since it’s launch to help prepare students to compete with the best in the country.
Career Ready links employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people. Offering a structured programme for 15-18 year olds, they rely on employers like Santander across the UK to deliver the four key pillars of activity – masterclasses, mentoring, internships and workplace visits. Santander is one of the biggest supporters of the programme nationally and has supported the charity since its inception.
Keith Moor, Chief Marketing Officer at Santander UK, said: “At Santander our purpose is to help people and businesses prosper. By working in partnership with charities such as Career Ready we want to help all young people to have the opportunities necessary for them to realise their potential.
“The coordinators in schools are integral to this aim, working tirelessly to connect and engage businesses and students while also supporting students, employers and volunteers alike. The Santander Employability Champion Award enables us to acknowledge all of their hard work, dedication and the huge difference they are making every day.”
Elaine will be presented with £250 John Lewis vouchers and a trophy at a national awards ceremony in London today, and one national winner will be chosen from the six regional winners, who will receive one-to-one mentoring for a year by an employee from Santander, and will be given £5,000 for their school or college – to be used in the development of their Career Ready programme.
Anne Spackman, Chief Executive of Career Ready, said: “It’s great to see an award which celebrates schools and colleges who are outstanding at employer engagement, now recognised as a major contributor to students’ future success in the workplace. The success at Craigroyston Community High School is due in no small part to the magnificent leadership and energy provided by Elaine Gray who is a thoroughly deserving winner.”
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