Let's Meet ..... Brian O'Donnell

Let’s Meet... 

Employability Project Co-ordinator 

  How long have you been with Fife Council and how long with Employability Services?  

 I have worked at Fife Council for 13 years in various roles. I have been with the Employability Service for about 7-8 years, and it's been great. I've had the opportunity to work with a good team and do some really rewarding work. 

 How has Employability Services changed, if at all?  

 In a lot of ways yes, due to a lot of the economic challenges we are facing it is more important than ever to provide alternative routes into employment. There is a huge mismatch between what employers are looking for and what is available in terms of skilled people. There are often changes in our funding, objectives and areas of focus but in essence the problem is the same and in a lot of ways is more apparent today than when I started. 

 What team are you currently with? What is your role today? 

 I am a project coordinator, and I manage the Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) project and team. For an FA young people undertake work-based learning and complete SVQ level 2 while in s5 or s6; placed with an employer to complete the qualification while also gaining the crucial work experience. It's a brilliant project, very innovative and allows employers to be involved in the training and upskilling of the future workforce. 

 How has your role changed over the past 5 years?  

 Oh, lots but this has been great for my own development and skillset. Initially I was a Development Officer for DYW working on employer engagement. I then moved to European territorial collaborative projects. Where I got to work with peers from across Europ developing skills programmes then Brexit happened, and we could no longer take part in ETC programmes. Moving to National training programmes as well as helping to develop our own Pre-Employment and sector-based academy models and now have the FA programme and team. I've learned so much from so many great people. 

 What has been the most memorable moment during your time with your employability team? 

 There are many memorable moments for me, but the best thing is when you see a young person that you have worked with go on to achieve and exceed everyone's expectations. I've had many for want of a better term, 'proud dad moments' with young and older people. We have supported people from a range of backgrounds, some with significant barriers, disabilities & health conditions, care experienced young people, refugees, and ex veterans who are struggling to find purpose. There have been a few times when I've had a wee tear in my eye when we see our clients achieve. 

 Would you say employability is a good choice of career?  

 Absolutely if you want to help people and want to find some purpose to what you do then employability is great. There is a lot of variety to what we do, and you get to work with a good range of people from various sectors. We work with employers, government agencies, education, local government, the Scottish government, even the EU. The opportunity to learn and grow your own skillset is good and it will serve you well for a career in lots of different industries. For me the number one best thing is supporting people; being able to make a big difference to people's lives by helping them to achieve purpose and get a rewarding career of their own. 

If you are an employer our one of our Service Directorates, we can support you for recruitment, we can help promote additional jobs, Modern Apprenticeships and provide support on multiple fronts. For eligible clients there may be funding support available. If you would like more information, drop us an email at – FJC@fife.gov.uk