Two new young people welcomed to the Outer Hebrides

Two young people with family connections in the Outer Hebrides have been successful in securing graduate marketing roles in the Isle of Lewis.

The 12-month appointments were made through ScotGrad - a graduate placement programme run in the region by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Fiona MacLennan, 25, from Aberdeen is three months into her role with community group, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (CEN).

The historical society, based in Ness, north Lewis, operates as a museum and provides vital services to local people and visitors. Due to local demand it is now open all-year round and continues to grow. The area is also the stronghold of Gaelic and the language is central to what the organisation does.

Fiona’s family hails from Raasay and she went through Gaelic medium education in Aberdeen before graduating from Robert Gordon University with a 1st Class BA Hons in Management. In her new position at CEN, she will be creating a marketing and business plan and helping to increase online sales.

She said: “I’m really excited to be involved in the marketing project at CEN. It’s an excellent opportunity for me to gain valuable work experience relevant to my degree. I am really enjoying working on new merchandise for our shop and increasing visibility online through our social platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.”

Theresa Peteranna, 24, from Inverness has family connections in South Uist. Having graduated in English and Film at the University of Aberdeen, she was recruited earlier this year by Sandwick Bay Candles. The business, owned by Megan Macdonald, is based in Stornoway and sells its products across the world.

During lockdown, Theresa started learning more about social media marketing through running her own bookstagram account, @chaleurdulitreads and getting involved with Nairn Book and Arts Festival as a committee member focusing on the organisation’s social media.

In her role at Sandwick Bay Candles, Theresa has been creating marketing campaigns for the company’s new refillable household products range and refill station, both which result in a reduction in packaging materials, contributing to the company’s green credentials.

She said: “It’s such an exciting opportunity to be able to use my creativity and passion for sustainable living. The responsibilities in my role vary between marketing and PR and it’s great to work in a small dedicated team. Megan has been so encouraging and is a fantastic role model as an enterprising small business owner and it’s also been a fantastic adventure to move to Stornoway.”

Kathleen Stewart, HIE’s head of enterprise support, said: “It’s great to welcome Fiona and Theresa to live and work in the islands. Helping to increase the population in the Outer Hebrides is a big focus for HIE and our popular ScotGrad programme provides a great opportunity for businesses in the islands as well as for young people looking to get some great work experience. With their backgrounds, Theresa and Fiona are ideal people to get involved in the marketing and social media side of operations at CEN and Sandwick Bay Candles. We are delighted they have been appointed through the programme.”

As part of the ScotGrad Graduate Placement Programme, both Theresa and Fiona will benefit from support from a team in HIE. The programme is also supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Find out more about ScotGrad.