OUR STORY

Raymond Fernie was just 58 when he lost his eight-year battle against prostate cancer on 1st March 2019. Despite his health troubles, he continued to work tirelessly with schools and the business community across Fife to promote youth employability.
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A small group of family, friends and colleagues established The Raymond Fernie Foundation in 2020 to continue Ray’s mission and allow his legacy to live on.

RAY'S VISION

Hearing from a local employer that many pupils joining straight from school didn’t have the right skills for employment, Ray determined to change this. His vision was that every young person leaving school, regardless of their background, would have access to further training or an apprenticeship to help equip them for the world of work.

Ray’s first ‘employability’ initiative was at Lochgelly High School where he was a talented and much-respected teacher. He ran workshops and connected employers with the school to make sure that the skills pupils needed were included in their curriculum.

The venture proved a huge success, and soon he was taking his blueprint to Fife Council, where he continued his work as the Developing the Young Workforce (DYF) Manager for the whole of Fife. Since then, Ray’s model has become a template for many other councils across Scotland.

“His enthusiasm for the cause knew no bounds and he was always prepared to do whatever he could to ensure that all the young people he came into contact with maximised the use of their talents no matter their circumstances. His legacy will live on.”
Bob Garmory
Chairman of DYW Fife and Director of the Purvis Group