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Pupils receive top prize at Glasgow Trail event

14 Dec 2011

Glasgow school pupils, staff and tourism and hospitality representatives gathered earlier this week for a special prize giving following the successful Glasgow Trail initiative.
For the winning team of 15 youngsters from Bellahouston Academy, the event at Glasgow City Chambers made for a special afternoon as they were presented with their prizes.
The innovative skills challenge, The Glasgow Trail, took place on 28/29 September this year and included 300 pupils fro schools and colleges across the city. During the two-day programme, organised by Glasgow Service with Style in partnership with Springboard, and funded by Skills Development Scotland the teenagers from S2 to S5 worked in teams on a range of competitive projects. The innovative accompanying Trail booklet was produced with support from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
The treasure trail style challenges included setting a banqueting table at the Radisson Blu hotel, a pop quiz at The Lighthouse and sculpture creation at GoMA. Marks were awarded for skills and initiative.
The final scores revealed that the team from Bellahouston Academy were the overall winners and on Monday the pupils were delighted to receive goody bags and a prize lunch at the xxx bar at Radisson Blu.
The prize-giving event also offered the chance for various industry representatives, including Lorna Jackson from Radisson Blu and Daniel Laud, a student at City of Glasgow College,  to give the children a great insight into the opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.
Gordon McIntyre, the vice-chair of GSWS and head of hospitality at City of Glasgow College, opened the prize giving with enthusiastic words about working in the sector. He said: “We have a vision to make a world class city in terms of  tourism and hospitality and so we are keen to encourage young people with the right enthusiasm and passion into our industry.
“This is a sector that is growing, while many others diminish, and it offers many exciting opportunities here and across the world.
“The Glasgow Trail was a chance t showcase some of the tourism attraction in Glasgow to our city’s youngsters and to chow them that there is more to tourism and hospitality than catering and waitressing. 
“The wealth of jobs and the range of opportunities is amazing, including managerial, HR, events, financial and IT positions. People should not think of this sector as being poorly paid because this simply isn’t the case.”
Following the prize giving, two of the youngsters from Bellahouston Academy sector added their enthusiasm to the event. Saffron Dickson, 14, is set on a career in hospitality and said she is keen to follow a range of opportunities when she leaves school.
She said: “I have a huge passion for baking and cooking, thanks to the knowledge passed on from my grandparents, and I have always been keen to do a job that uses these skills. But now I can see that there are many more opportunities that could come from training in hospitality.
“I think I’d like to start out by learning some of the basic skills of hospitality, most likely at college, and then I’d like to travel the world working in different restaurants and hotels.
“It might be that I can then use my experience to move into more managerial roles or to start my own business. I like the idea of doing something entrepreneurial in the hospitality industry.
“The Glasgow trail and the talks that we have had have really opened my eyes to the range of possibilities in the hospitality industry.”
Nathan Kevan, also 14, agreed with Saffron adding: “I have always liked cooking for my family and at school I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more a bout hospitality as part of the Hospitality and Practical Cookery Intermediate II course.
“I think it is brilliant that my interests and enthusiasm will count for a great deal and even if people are not the most academic there are still good careers in this sector. There are positions for al kinds of people but I know I will enjoy fitting into this industry because it is something I already have an interest in.”
For Home Economics teacher Martha Dunnett the school course and the Glasgow trail initiative have helped to add voice to her encouragement of pupils. She said; “It is an industry where age and exams do not matter so much, but skills and enthusiasm do. I am always telling my pupils that there are a wealth of opportunities in hospitality and that their capabilities will be encouraged.”
Look out for future blogs in which we highlight the exciting careers of Lorna Jackson and denial Laud. 

Glasgow school pupils, staff and tourism and hospitality representatives gathered earlier this week for a special prize-giving following the successful Glasgow Trail initiative.

For the winning team of 15 youngsters from Bellahouston Academy, the event at Glasgow City Chambers made for a special afternoon as they were presented with their prizes.

The innovative skills challenge, The Glasgow Trail, took place on 28/29 September this year and included 300 pupils from schools and colleges across the city. During the two-day programme, organised by Glasgow Service with Style in partnership with Springboard, and funded by Skills Development Scotland, the teenagers from S2 to S5 worked in teams on a range of competitive projects. The innovative accompanying Trail booklet was produced with support from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

The treasure trail style challenges included setting a banqueting table at the Radisson Blu hotel, a pop quiz at The Lighthouse and sculpture creation at GoMA. Marks were awarded for skills and initiative.

The final scores revealed that the team from Bellahouston Academy were the overall winners and on Monday the pupils were delighted to receive goody bags and a prize lunch at the Radisson Blu.

The prize-giving event also offered the chance for various industry representatives, including Lorna Jackson from Radisson Blu and Daniel Laud, a student at City of Glasgow College,  to give the children a great insight into the opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Gordon McIntyre, the vice-chair of GSWS and head of hospitality at City of Glasgow College, opened the prize giving with enthusiastic words about working in the sector. He said: “We have a vision to make a world class city in terms of  tourism and hospitality and so we are keen to encourage young people with the right passion into our industry.

“This is a sector that is growing, while many others diminish, and it offers many exciting opportunities here and across the world.

“The Glasgow Trail was a chance to showcase some of the tourism attractions in Glasgow to our city’s youngsters and to show them that there is more to tourism and hospitality than catering and waitressing. 

“The wealth of jobs and the range of opportunities is amazing, including managerial, HR, events, financial and IT positions. People should not think of this sector as being poorly paid because this simply isn’t the case.”

Following the prize giving, two of the youngsters from Bellahouston Academy added their enthusiasm to the event. Saffron Dickson, 14, is set on a career in hospitality and said she is keen to follow a range of opportunities when she leaves school.

She said: “I have a huge passion for baking and cooking, thanks to the knowledge passed on from my grandparents, and I have always been keen to do a job that uses these skills. But now I can see that there are many more opportunities that could come from training in hospitality.

“I think I’d like to start out by learning some of the basic skills of hospitality, most likely at college, and then I’d like to travel the world working in different restaurants and hotels.

“It might be that I can then use my experience to move into more managerial roles or to start my own business. I like the idea of doing something entrepreneurial in the hospitality industry.

“The Glasgow Trail and the talks that we have heard have really opened my eyes to the range of possibilities in the hospitality industry.”

Nathan Kevan, also 14, agreed with Saffron adding: “I have always liked cooking for my family and at school I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about hospitality as part of the Hospitality and Practical Cookery Intermediate II course.

“I think it is brilliant that my interests and enthusiasm will count for a great deal and even if people are not the most academic there are still good careers in this sector. There are positions for all kinds of people but I know I will enjoy fitting into this industry because it is something I already have an interest in.”

For Home Economics teacher Martha Dunnett, the school course and the Glasgow Trail initiative have helped to add voice to her encouragement of pupils. She said: “It is an industry where age and exams do not matter so much, but skills and enthusiasm do. I am always telling my pupils that there are a wealth of opportunities in hospitality and that their capabilities will be encouraged.”

* Look out for future blogs in which we highlight the exciting careers of Lorna Jackson and Daniel Laud.