News

15/07/2025

World Youth Skills Day celebrates the importance of equipping young people with the essential skills they need for the workplace. At Blackwood, we are proud to support the next generation and are always looking for ways to empower young people to explore rewarding careers in the care industry.

As a signatory of the Young Person’s Guarantee, we’ve committed to reducing the barriers that young people face when starting out in their careers. This includes supporting skill development, delivering class talks, and offering apprenticeships to those taking their first steps into the world of work.

Our Organisational Development Manager, Fiona Ralph, has been doing fantastic work through her visits to schools across Scotland. Her sessions are full of real-life insights into the care sector and highlight Blackwood’s innovative, technology-led approach.

Fiona said: “The idea of using robotics in care sparked interest in the young people I spoke to and encouraged them to think about how care roles might change in the future.”

We also spoke to some of our brilliant apprentices, who shared their experiences of working at Blackwood.

Aaron Fraser, currently completing a customer service apprenticeship, described the office environment as “very youth friendly” and added that he was pleasantly surprised by how it was “more exciting than the usual stereotypes of office work.”

We’re proud to be a real-life example of how dynamic and diverse a modern work environment can be.

Ailee Smith, who recently completed her apprenticeship, highlighted how flexible and supportive the experience has been:

“My manager was great with supporting me to look at different parts of the business so I could have a clearer idea of my options.”

At Blackwood, we aim to attract more young people by offering a supportive and inclusive workplace, even for those still figuring out their career path. Our goal is to ensure every apprentice has the chance to build a successful and exciting future.

We are both excited and proud that young people at Blackwood are not only learning valuable skills — but are being inspired to shape the future of inclusive care.

Here at Blackwood, we remain committed to investing in young minds and staying true to our pledge to inspire and support the next generation of care professionals.

 

 

✍️ This post was written by Elena Farrugia, who is currently on her summer placement with Blackwood while studying Marketing Management and Psychology at the University of Sussex. Thank you, Elena!