Alford Academy Career Fair – Thursday 12th March 2026 6pm – 8pm
Alford Academy Career Fair – Tuesday 3rd February – 6pm – 8pm
Hill to Grill 2025
Hill to Grill 2025
On September 18th 2025; 20 lucky S2/3 pupils spent the day in the kitchen with Lauren Houston from @glenkilrie_larder to learn about sustainable deer management and compete to create their own recipe for venison burgers. Anna Blair who is the employer school coordinator from DYW has been working with Alford Academy to provide opportunities like this for us as a school. She is working with us to help pupils understand the breadth of opportunities that are now available to them as they consider career pathways.
Lauren Housten (Glenkilrie larder) with pupils.
Hill to Grill is an event supported by DYW and the Cairngorm National Park which focuses on helping pupils understand ethical food choices. In addition this growth industry is close to the heart of Alford and the project promotes sustainable wildlife management and careers in land-based industries. Nearly 200 S2 pupils took part in the event across two days in November.
James Ade (Cairngorm 2020), Jenni Rees-Jenkins (PT Pathways), Anna Blair (DYW) and Alyssa Hay (RGU school Hub Officer).
We are very grateful to Lauren and the Glenkilrie Larder not only for the donated venison but also for supporting the pupils to learn about Scottish deer species and prepare their burgers. The event is organised through DYW and our partnership with the Cairngorms National Park Authority Recovery Project which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thanks very much to Lauren for demonstrating to our pupils today, to James Ade Learning Coordinator (Climate & Arts) from Cairngorm 2030 project, Cairngorm National Park Authority and the HE department for letting us use the kitchen for the day. James and Lauren judged the variety of burgers created and we had 3 winners!
Junior Ranger Programme 2025
Junior Ranger Programme 2025
Every year we work with the Cairngorms National Park Authority Rangers to take part in the National Park Junior Ranger Scheme. The week entails 5 days of activities showcasing the various roles a Ranger undertakes in their ‘typical’ weeks to maintain our National Parks (Cairngorm National park). The pupils also learn about access rights, land use and how to look after our wild spaces. At the end of this week the pupils spend a day creating a presentation to show off their learning from each day to invited guests.
The programme this year looked like this:
Day 1: Habitat improvement at Balmoral castle. Pupils worked on a site on the Balmoral estate to manage invasive trees and to create a more suitable habitat for Capercaillie to thrive. Pupils took part in practical habitat management to improve the habitat for Capercaillie. This was done by blocking ditches to create wet areas. They then completed ring barking of spruce trees with the use of a hatchet to create dead wood and remove non native species.
Day 2: Biodiversity and visitor management at Dorenell wind farm. Pupils learned about how we can use the land to create sustainable energy and the impact this has on biodiversity.
Day 3: Biodiversity and outdoor access at Muir of Dinnet. Pupils took part in activities to measure biodiversity but also had the opportunity to see some cool geology and enjoy the Burn o Vat waterfall. Pupils took part in moth identification & recording – open moth trap run overnight, they looked at the moths caught as good examples of species diversity & importance in ecosystems.
Day 4: Outdoor access and biodiversity by bike at Glen Tanar. This day is access by 2 wheels and pupils move through the Glen Tanar estate on mountain bike and learn about their rights of access and how to take care of this site.
Day 5: Deer management and tree regeneration at Mar Lodge. The Gillies and Rangers work with pupils to understand how we manage deer numbers in response to tree management. They gained an introduction to stalking, with a practical deer carcass anatomy and preparation session. They had an opportunity to view the guns and clothing used by the stalking team. They had a guided walk around Linn of Quoich observing natural tree regeneration and expansion of Caledonian pine forest habitat, explaining how it benefits from the work of the stalking team. This is a great opportunity and pupils even get to eat the fruits of their labour at the end!
The end presentations took place in the library this year and we were really impressed by the effort and hard work of our pupils. We have to thank everyone who came to hear about their week and give them the opportunity to develop their communication skills.
Thank you to Will and Sarah who are the Cairngorms National Park Authority Rangers who supported pupils throughout the week. Also we had involvement from 8 staff from the school without whom we couldn’t take the pupils on this adventure. Although the day’s activities and bus transportation is funded by the Cairngorm National Park (we are very grateful for this) we couldn’t run the trip without the help from staff and to the parents and guardians who help out with late pick ups, pack lunch making and come to see their final presentations.
It’s not an easy week for the pupils who take part and we were delighted that they all received their Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger certificate.
If you want to know more about Junior Rangers or our outdoor programmes please speak to either; Mrs Niven, Mrs Rees-Jenkins or Mrs Cameron.
Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Scottish Career week (11-15 Nov)
DYW Campaigns
Scottish Careers Week (11-15 Nov) – Support Scottish Careers Week 2024 – DYW explains how employers, schools and parents can all get involved.
DYW Newsletter
DYW North East October newsletter October news from DYW North East (no tricks, just treats 👻)
Apprenticeships & Job Opportunities
Developing the Young Workforce Apprenticeship Opportunities
DYW’s ApprenticeFEST Aberdeen
28 November, 5:30-8:00, RGU, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen
An event for young people and their parents/carers to learn about apprenticeship opportunities in the region and meet with employers.
The venue for the Aberdeenshire ApprenticeFEST in March hasn’t been announced yet but, depending on the location, this one in Aberdeen might be more accessible for pupils.
Apprenticeship/Trainee roles at SSEN
Apprentice Fitter (550271) – http://careers.sse.com/caw/en/job/550271?lApplicationSubSourceID=12096
Trainee Project Manager – Technical Apprenticeship (550272) – http://careers.sse.com/caw/en/job/550272?lApplicationSubSourceID=12096
Trainee Engineer (550275) – http://careers.sse.com/caw/en/job/550275?lApplicationSubSourceID=12096
Trainee Site Construction Manager (550273)- http://careers.sse.com/caw/en/job/550273?lApplicationSubSourceID=12096
Audit and Tax Apprenticeship programmes at EY
September 2025 intake
Land-based pre-apprenticeship programme
Ringlink Scotland
Winter intake (6 months full time employment)
Ideal pathway for 16-21 year in into the wider rural sector. Accredited by SRUC.
Pre-Apprenticeship | Ringlink Scotland
Hospitality Apprentice Land-based
National Trust for Scotland, Haddo House
12 months full time.
Horizons – S6 Driving awareness and safety
Tuesday 25th June – S6 Driving awareness and safety
Today we had a very successful Horizon event for our S6 students. The theme today was for young drivers and focussed on:
- Driving Safety – a session delivered by the Fire service and Police Scotland with a hard hitting message regarding dangerous driving.
- DVLA – Highway code theory test delivered by local driving instructor
- Car Maintenance – a practical session from John Reid, working on a car: Changing a tyre, looking at brake pads, oil filter, how to fill your car with petrol.
All the sessions were very informative and the pupils recognised the relevance to them as they think about or have started driving lessons.
An S6 pupil who attended the sessions shared:
The fire service delivered a presentation to us about staying safe on the road. We participated in group discussion identifying which factors may contribute to collisions and how these may be avoided. For example, we identified the reasons that people may speed to be; you could be running late, you could be trying to impress someone, or you could be seeking an adrenaline rush. We watched a case study and listened to the story about a road accident in Ayrshire. We learned about common hazards on the road and how exceeding the speed limit can have worse consequences than expected.
We participated in an activity with Jim Reid car sales and services. This saw us learn about the basic maintenance of a car and take a hands-on approach, getting involved with the changing of a tyre and being shown the essential parts of the engine such as the windscreen wiper fluid intake. Jim explained that for a car to remain in good condition its engine must be maintained and checked often. This includes monitoring the oil, coolant, and brake fluid level. Jim and Craig were very friendly and our active participation kept everyone eager to learn more.
We also talked to a driving instructor about theory and practical tests. He gave us tips and explained the necessary components for someone to receive their licence. He talked us through what we could expect in a driving lesson. As well as resources we could use to prepare ourselves for our theory tests. We enjoyed taking an online mock theory test, which turned out to be more difficult than most of us were expecting.
Nurse Cadet Scheme
Career Fair – 2024
On Thursday 15th February, Alford Academy hosted it’s annual career fair. 60 different employers and further education establishments were on site to talk to our pupils, parents/carers and members of the community. The evening was very busy and there was a real buzz on campus.
Our thanks to Developing the Young Workforce for organising this successful career evening.
We hope it was helpful for all who attended to think about future pathways.
National Apprenticeship Week – W/C February 5th 2024
National Apprenticeship Week starts on Monday 5th February 2024.
National Apprenticeship Week 2024 LIVE –
Find out more information regarding apprenticeships and hear from Companies such as M Group Services, National Nuclear Laboratory, Arnold Clark, Weightmans, ABP Beef, BT, and many more will be joining us each day.
They will be discussing the stereotypes surrounding apprenticeships and highlighting the incredible opportunities they offer within their organisations, including degree apprenticeships. This is a fantastic chance to hear directly from current apprentices about their own experiences.
If interested you can REGISTER for NAW 2024 LIVE by clicking on the following link to Register Now
We are looking forward to celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2024 with you and a community of apprenticeship enthusiasts.