James Jones & Sons was delighted to take part in the recent ‘Growing your Future’ event, organised by DYW. The event, supported by over 15 land-based sector employers and various partners, was arranged for all secondary schools in Morayshire and took place at Dipple Farm. The event welcomed over 60 S3 pupils, who were transported by Stagecoach, a key sponsor of the event.
The aim of the ‘Growing your Future’ event is to raise awareness of potential career options within the land based sector and to allow pupils first hand experience of some of the many roles available within the industry. The event gave pupils the opportunity to participate in interactive land based related workshops and meet with businesses and individuals that work in the sector.
The day offered a variety of career insights through engaging talks and interactive workshops. Pupils had the opportunity to learn directly from employers such as James Jones & Sons, Finlay Training, Mark Garrick Ltd, Spey Bay Golf Club, Spey Fishery Board, and Moray Coast Vet Group, among others. James Jones & Sons provided a forestry simulator, allowing students to experience log handling with various machinery. Mathesons Farm showcased their livestock, including cattle, sheep, and piglets, demonstrating how they manage health checks and vaccinations. The range of the employers' workshops were both informative and hands-on, creating an enriching experience for the pupils.
Emma Winchester, DYW Representative, expressed her gratitude, stating:
“Thank you to Dipple Farm for hosting the event. Iain Brown of Dipple Farm did a fantastic job setting up the barns safely for the pupils to attend and participate in a range of workshops. Thank you also to Stagecoach for transporting the pupils to the event – this was a massive cost saving. Finally, the exceptional effort from the employers who hosted workshops was second to none. The pupils were buzzing throughout the day, and this was lovely to see. Many were really inspired by the array of opportunities in the land-based sector on their doorstep.”
Neil Petrie, Senior Site Manager at James Jones & Sons said “I can’t thank the people who helped with and supported the forestry demonstrations enough - Forres Tree Services, Colin Thompson Harvesting, John Deere and Forest and Land Scotland. All companies worked together to supply time and resources to promote visibility and job opportunities within the forestry industry. It was a fantastic day to be involved in and we found this event an invaluable opportunity to engage with and hopefully inspire and inform both young learners and support staff about what we do. Many thanks to DYW for their continued efforts in creating this type of event for the land based sector,”
This event highlighted the diverse career opportunities within the land-based sector and left a positive impact on the participating students, many of whom were inspired to explore careers in this dynamic field.
