At the 2017 Founders4Schools award ceremony in Francis Crick Institute in London, Stirling Council Chief Executive Stewart Carruth was named Ambassador of the Year. The all new award was created to recognise the individual the organisation felt had made the biggest difference in inspiring children and influencing business leaders in their local community.
McLaren High School Principal Teacher Martin Macmillan was also honoured with the STEM Impact Award: Empowering Future Scientists for his work in preparing local students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) related jobs.
Stirling Council was also recognised for its work to increase the number of opportunities for young people when researching their future careers with nominations in the Innovator of the Year and Local Government Partner of the Year categories.
Stirling Council Chief Executive Stewart Carruth said, “I am so proud of the hard work our schools and staff have put in to help make our exciting partnership with Founders4Schools such a fantastic success so far. It is an absolute honour to not only receive four nominations this year but to win two of these awards, including being personally named as Ambassador of the Year. I want to thank the business leaders who have already taken part in this initiative who are using their knowledge, skills, drive and passion to really inspire and motivate young people on their future career paths. I believe we owe it to our young people to help them on this journey by sharing our stories.“
The awards come as Stirling Council continues its digital transformation agenda, ensuring that Stirling is a centre of digital excellence and the destination of choice for students and businesses of the future.
Stewart added, “We have big ambitions to transform the Stirling area. Along with our work with CivTech, the launch of CodeBase and our Digital District, these awards and our partnership with Founders4Schools really cements the fantastic work we are doing in Stirling.”
Founders4Schools allows schools to connect with inspiring professionals in the local community and learn more about different careers on offer.
The organisation’s main aim is to facilitate encounters between pupils and employers - their research shows that pupils who take part in these experiences are more likely to continue study in areas like Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Balfron High, Stirling High and McLaren High Schools are already taking part in the initiative – employers have been welcomed along to speak and hold Q&A sessions with pupils during a number of events. All seven of Stirling’s secondary schools have plans to take part in the initiative going forward.
Sherry Coutu, Founder and Chair of the Founders4Schools, said: “Every teacher and leader recognised by these awards is focused on the importance of workplace encounters in preparing young people for employment. Together we are supporting businesses and educators in achieving the goal of four encounters between the ages of 13 and 16.
“Founders4Schools’ mission is to improve the life chances of students by giving them connections in their community who help them discover the skills and pathways that will be relevant when they leave education. Ultimately, we want all students to be well informed about their future options, motivated to succeed and to lead enterprising lives.”
Stirling Council Leader Scott Farmer said, “Working with Founders4Schools is just one of the ways we are expanding the opportunities for the young people of Stirling. It’s great to see the hard work of our schools and staff being acknowledged who should be very proud of what they have achieved so far, well done to all.
“Not only will the initiative help our pupils enter positive destinations after leaving school such as employment, apprenticeships and further education, it also allows us to further strengthen our city’s standing in the digital sector. All things considered, Stirling is rapidly becoming a leading light for inclusive growth around digital technology.”