10th December 2024 Partner collaboration brings new opportunities and workplace insights to Scottish students

We gave 20 S5 and S6 students from Bellahouston Academy, Glasgow a rare opportunity to attend a collaboration event between two of our partners – combining two of our programmes into one high-impact day in November.

By bringing together KPMG in the UK and SAS's expertise of delivering support in the public and private sectors, we were able to show students a wide range of potential future career paths and insights across AI, data science and professional services.

The first half of the day was a workshop hosted by SAS, a global software analytics company. Students experienced working with real data, looking through the lens of the police and relationship fraud, and were able to develop an evidence-based approach to data analysis. This gave an in-depth look at the software and skills needed to work with data to support external agencies, and an understanding of potential career paths available.

The afternoon workshop was hosted by KPMG in their Glasgow office. The Opening Doors to Opportunities programme, developed by The Talent Foundry and KPMG, showcases the professional services sector and engages students to develop their work-ready skills.

During this workshop, students took on the challenge of being a KPMG consultant for the afternoon through a two-hour skills session focused on communication, problem solving and thinking creatively.

Sharon, the careers advisor at Bellahouston Academy, concluded the day by saying:

“I would like to say a massive thank-you to everyone involved. The whole day was brilliant and so informative. Our pupils gained fantastic industry insights from all the staff involved in SAS, KPMG and The Talent Foundry. The workshops were very interesting and engaging for pupils who came away with a lot to think about their careers after meeting all the mentors who work in various roles. I would highly recommend the workshops to colleagues and other schools."