This month the AFC Community Trust, Young Enterprise Grampian and the Business School delivered their first collaborative workshop 'Managing your team' to local pupils and link teachers from Hazlehead Academy, Mearns Academy and Meldrum Academy alongside business advisors involved in the Young Enterprise Grampian company programme.
The workshop was organised by Holly Hillson-Dawson, Senior Partner Schools Coach at AFC Community Trust, and Dr Karen Bilsland, YEG Area Board Member and Lecturer in Management at the University of Aberdeen Business School.
The ‘Managing your team’ workshop is a YEG-specific training event that was intended to complement the digital training programme offered this year by Young Enterprise Scotland.
Dr Karen Bilsland commented on the success of the workshop: “The workshop was very well received and it was great to see so many pupils embrace the online delivery format and participate fully in the activity and discussion. The purpose of the workshop was to give pupils a real insight into what makes a great team in practice. We hope that pupils will reflect on this positive example of team working at Aberdeen FC Community Trust, and that they are both motivated and inspired to find ways to make their Young Enterprise company teams function more effectively.”
The Young Enterprise Company Programme provides young people (aged 15-19 years old) with the opportunity to set up and run their own real company while they are still at school. Each company is guided through the experience by a volunteer advisor from a local business, with the help of link teachers from each school.
Pupils make all the decisions about their business, from deciding on the company name, managing the company finances and selling to the public.
The Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT), Partner Charity to Aberdeen Football Club supports people across all age groups and backgrounds throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. With the vision “to provide support and opportunity to change lives for the better in the community”.
Earlier this year Aberdeen FC and the University of Aberdeen announced a two-year extension to their successful schools and community’s partnership.
The partnership, which kicked off in December 2018 has seen the University work with the Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT) in communities throughout the north-east, providing support and input to the Trust’s successful school and community engagement programmes to encourage pupils to consider coming to university.