Past Employer Events and School Activities

Pupils from Lossiemouth High School took part in a Solar Punk Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) Shipwreck Day, designed to develop creativity, resilience, and teamwork. The event was based on the Solar Punk Island project created by Daydream Believers and delivered in collaboration with local employers, organisations, and emergency services.

Thank you to...

• Out of the Darkness Theatre Company
• UHI Moray
• Lossiemouth Community Fire Station
• Lossiemouth Community Council
• Buckie Wildcat Community First Responders
• Glasgow School of Art

The day began with ODTC captaining a “ship” which struck an iceberg, leaving pupils shipwrecked. This immersive introduction set the scene for a practical challenge in survival and community building. Pupils were taken to Lossiemouth beach, divided into “tribes”, and rotated through a series of survival and resilience activities.

Objectives:

• Introduce resilience and survival skills through practical, hands-on learning
• Encourage teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in a real-world context
• Strengthen links between the school, employers, and community partners
• Provide an immersive learning experience outside the classroom
• Extend learning through follow-up project work back in school

Results:
The beach-based activities were designed to embed real-world knowledge and skills. Pupils took part in:

• Shelter Building – using limited resources to construct protection from the elements
• Community Resilience – exploring how communities adapt in times of crisis with Lossiemouth Community Council
• Water Purification – learning methods to make water safe to drink with UHI Moray
• Fire Safety – receiving practical guidance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• First Aid – gaining basic emergency response skills with Wildcat Rapid Responders

These sessions gave pupils a wide-ranging introduction to essential survival techniques, alongside opportunities to consider wider themes of resilience and collective responsibility. The outdoor, practical setting helped pupils to engage positively, with many responding well to the hands-on style of learning and the chance to work collaboratively.

Back in school, the project continued with each tribe creating a flag to represent their identity and values. Further classwork will build on this foundation, encouraging pupils to reflect on their experiences and embed learning across multiple subjects.

Benefits:

• Pupils developed practical skills in survival, first aid, and community resilience
• The immersive structure encouraged adaptability, leadership, and collaboration
• Engagement with employers and community partners provided authentic, real-world context
• Outdoor activity created a motivating and memorable change of learning environment
• The project provided a clear link between classroom learning and wider life skills

Between October and December 2025, Elgin Academy delivered the S4 Ideal Candidate Programme, an employability initiative designed to prepare young people for the world of work. The programme combined in-school learning with inputs from local employers, giving pupils meaningful exposure to real-world recruitment practices. Through CV workshops, interview preparation sessions and large-scale mock interviews, around 200 S4 pupils were supported in their development of essential skills, that will become increasing important, as they transition into employment, further education or training. The programme was strengthened by strong partnerships with a wide range of local businesses, ensuring learning was relevant, practical and firmly rooted in employer expectations.

The primary objective of the Ideal Candidate Programme was to equip S4 pupils with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills required to successfully navigate recruitment processes. Specifically, the programme aimed to:

• Improve pupils’ understanding of how to create a clear, professional and effective CV.
• Develop communication, presentation, interview preparedness and interview skills.
• Provide realistic, hands-on experience of the interview process in a supportive environment.
• Strengthen links between Elgin Academy and local businesses to enhance work-related learning.

CV workshops delivered in October and November were led by local employers who shared guidance on writing and structuring a strong CV. Follow-up visits allowed employers to work one-to-one with pupils, supporting them to refine and finalise their individual CVs. In November, Gordon & MacPhail delivered an interview preparation workshop, offering pupils valuable insight into employer expectations and practical strategies for success. In December, over 18 employers participated across six mock interview sessions, enabling all S4 pupils to experience a realistic interview scenario. Feedback from both pupils and employers to date highlighted increased pupil confidence, improved communication skills and a greater understanding of the recruitment process.

The programme delivered significant benefits for pupils, staff and the wider community. Pupils gained practical employability skills, increased self-confidence and a clearer understanding of recruitment processes. Experience of a real interview helped reduce anxiety and better prepare the pupils for part-time work, apprenticeships, college or university applications. Employers benefited from early engagement with young talent and the opportunity to support skills development within the local community. Although feedback has not yet been fully analysed, for Elgin Academy, we anticipate that the programme helped to strengthen employer relationships and interest in supporting school engagements, thus supporting DYW Moray’s goal of promoting work-related learning.