LOCHGELLY High School featured prominently at the Kingdom FM Fife Local Hero Awards evening on Friday. The man who pioneered a new employability initiative for pupils at the school was chosen as Teacher of the Year. Ray Fernie, principal teacher of design, engineering and technology, who was nominated for the award by Shell UK, began the initiative last autumn when he discovered that a number of employers were concerned with a lack of ability many pupils had to enter the jobs market and the application process for work.

He entered the school into a partnership with the Central Fife business community and it saw representatives from companies visit the Lochgelly High and give pupils an idea of what they were looking for from applicants.
Such was the impact of the project it is set to be introduced into schools all over Fife.
Said Ray, “This award shows a recognition from the wider community that collectively we are doing something extremely worthwhile and innovative to help our young people progress into the world of work.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported this initiative and look forward to working with the backers of it this year”.
Also people working with Lochgelly High and given awards were Kirsty Yeoman and Kelly Owens, who assist with young people at LHS and at Kirkland High in Methil, Their aim is to ensure that young people remain at school and avoid being excluded and their contributions have seen exclusion rates at both schools drop. They received the Best Community Group or Initiative Award.