Benefits

Although the ASPIRENorth programme has been set up to focus entirely on addressing the needs of young people and not for the benefit of the individual partners involved, there are inevitably going to be significant benefits for all concerned.   What is developing is a win:win situation where what is good for the youngsters is good for everyone.  In particular we see the following particular benefits to partners:

As a college or university partner

• Your own profile as an education provider is inevitably raised in your area by ASPIRENorth activities.
• More focused information on the range and variety of courses partners offer reach a much wider audience, and are reinforced through the sequential nature of the ASPIRENorth programme.
• By welcoming more young people onto your campuses through ASPIRENorth workshops you have a chance to showcase all the positive things about your college or university environment.
• By encouraging your own students to involve themselves as role models and volunteers you will be providing additional opportunities for them to advance their own personal development and enhance their CVs.  You are also helping them to understand and appreciate their own educational achievements within your institution through volunteer activity.
• By encouraging your own employees to involve themselves as role models and volunteers you will be providing additional opportunities for them to advance their own personal development and enhance their CVs.  You are also helping them to understand and appreciate their own educational achievements through volunteer activity. Please see our employers information.

As a local authority partner

• Involvement in ASPIRENorth provides an additional way of strengthening council links with individual schools in your authority.
• The aims and objectives of ASPIRENorth align clearly with most local authorities’ own strategic aims in terms of social inclusion and raising achievement in schools – as such the programme can only enhance existing provision and reinforce current Scottish Government thinking on a regional basis.
• Active support of the ASPIRENorth programme provides a clear external message that your local authority is keen to work meaningfully in partnership to achieve common regional aims.
• Inviting an ASPIRENorth team member to sit on an appropriate working group within your organisation will bring you external feedback on common issues experienced across the north of Scotland, as well as examples of good practice in widening participation identified elsewhere.
• By encouraging your own employees to involve themselves as role models and volunteers you will be providing additional opportunities for them to advance their own personal development and enhance their CVs.  You are also helping them to understand and appreciate their own educational achievements through volunteer activity. Please see our employers information.