The PPE manufacturing sector leader brought careers into the classroom at Dumfries High as part of annual, community training initiative

Alpha Solway, part of Britain’s biggest PPE manufacturer Globus Group, has stepped up to help schools provide youngsters with essential employability skills.

With over 30 years’ heritage in Annan and Dumfries, Alpha Solway partnered with Dumfries High School to help host a specialised careers day in a bid to support and invest in the region’s future talent. This focus on the future workforce forms is central pillar of Globus Group’s thinking on the future of PPE, which is also looking at how to make the supply chain more resilient and sustainable so we can protect the public from future pandemics whilst also looking after the planet.

As one of the South of Scotland’s largest private sector employers, this is just one of many initiatives the business implemented over the past year to attract young people into the sector including a hugely successful apprenticeship scheme.

Along with 11 other employers, Alpha representatives performed a 20-minute presentation to 11 groups of Dumfries High School pupils, communicating fundamental careers knowledge, guidance and advice.

Pupil Ayla Hannay, S3 said: “I found the Alpha Solway presentation very informative and helped open my eyes to a bigger picture of how much work gets put in at the company to provide the community around us. The Alpha Solway presentation has helped me get a better understanding of how many job roles there can be in one company. I would consider one of these roles as a career path in the future.”

Louisa Edwards, HR Business Partner at Alpha Solway, commented: “We’re delighted to work closely with Dumfries High School to help spark valued appetite within the pupils for their future careers. A key focus for us is to invest in our communities, which has been pivotal in helping develop the major growth we’ve seen as a company over the last couple of years.

“It was great to see such avid interest from young people, there was high uptake of all Alpha products with great interest shown in our innovative respiratory range which we supply to the NHS.

Jan Kilmurry, Education and Learning Directorate at Dumfries High School added: “I’m delighted with the success of this year’s Careers Event which was well timed in preparing our pupils for the Options Process where they will choose their subjects for next year.

“This was a fantastic opportunity for our young people to find out about many career pathways and possible destinations. It was wonderful that Alpha Solway and other local employers were able to give us so much of their valuable time to give an insight into their businesses. The feedback from our young people has been excellent and this will inspire them in planning for their futures!”