Orkney Skillseekers

Natalie Hourston, hairdresser
Natalie Hourston's fulfilled a lifetime's ambition - at the age of 17. I've wanted to be a hairdresser for as long as I can remember - literally since I could first walk," she says. I've been doing the job for a year now -and I'm loving it."

The teenager was taken on by Orcadia Cuts in Stromness as a Skillseeker. It means she gets to learn the skills involved by working alongside the busy salon’s stylists – and during four-week study sessions at Highland College in Thurso, where she’s working towards a Level 2 SVQ qualification.

Natalie enjoyed school, but her determination to build a career in hairdressing meant she decided to find a job when she was 16.  First, though, she did work experience at a number of salons arranged through Support Training Ltd. "It was a great way to find out that this really was the life for me," she explains.  “Now I’ve been here for a while I’m starting to get regular customers of my own.  The best part of the job is when someone tells you they’re really happy with what you’ve done for them."

Garry Sutherland, warehouse worker
When Garry Sutherland took up the challenge of a new job, he had no idea just how much variety he’d enjoy in his working life.  Garry was appointed by cash-and-carry wholesalers JW Gray and Co to work as a Skillseeker in the firm’s warehouse at Hatston.  Since then, his dedication and willingness to learn every aspect of the business has been rewarded by promotion.

They've given me the chance to stand in for the foreman in the warehouse,” he says. “I’ve also done delivery driving and worked in the office – answering the phone, taking orders, handling the banking and sorting out accounts. This is a job that offers a lot of variety. I’ve got to know the place inside out – and it’s good when you can help anyone out because you know what’s needed of you.”

As a Skillseeker, the 21-year-old from Burray is working towards a Level 2 SVQ with support from staff at Grainshore Training Centre. “I’ll be gaining a recognised qualification – that’s another bonus I didn’t expect when I took on the job here,” he adds.