Becky Seath
Progression Worker

I work with young people and their key trainers to identify their preferred destination. I will be working to develop relationships with employers and training agencies, and education providers in order to provide suitable destinations, which meet the young persons aspirations for their future.

There are many things I like about both my job and Calman. I have the privilege of working alongside a great group of young people and team members which makes my job challenging, exciting and a whole lot of fun. Calman now and where it is going in the future makes it a very inspirational and dynamic place to be.

Working with young people for nearly 20 years has given me a wealth of experience and knowledge. But I find that it doesn’t matter how long you have been working with young people, everyday is like your first day, as with each new day comes new adventures, events, and experiences.

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Alison Spriggs
Transition Co-ordinator

I work with young people on a one to one basis, who are referred to me from school and my role is to support them to move on to a positive destination.

I love how the young people are made to feel valued, have a say in what goes on and are involved in the process of staff recruitment. It’s fantastic seeing each individual making progress!

I come from a background of addictions and homelessness and feel that the skills I’ve learned are being put to use in a preventative way in supporting young people to make positive choices regarding their future.

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Alasdair MacRae - Enterprise Officer

My Job: Enterprise Officer

Happiest when: 
 Camping, fishing and cooking outdoors, relaxing with family and friends, meeting new people, watching live bands, wandering around festival sites, visiting new places
Scared of: Terracotta (think of orange coloured stoneware plant-pots) and any surface that has a texture like terracotta – usual suspect being the un-glazed bits on brand new plates and cups, ugh.
Music I like:
Lemon Jelly, Etienne De Crecy, Kraftwerk, Alabama 3, George Clinton, King Creosote, Martyn Bennett, Air, Jean Michel Jarre, Gallagher & Lyle, Nouvelle Vague, The K.L.F, DJ Shadow, Klaxons, Tiefschwarz, Led Zeppelin, Funk D'Void, Happy Mondays, Alex Gopher, Groove Armada, New Order, Sebastien Leger, Avalanches, Portishead, Felix Da Housecat, Beth Orton, White Stripes, Chromeo, A Flock of Seagulls, Stone Roses.....and many many more!
Favourite Films: Vertigo, Platoon, Withnail & I, Big Lebowski, 300, Eagle Vs Shark, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Napoleon Dynamite, Kung Fu Hustle, The Shining, Citizen Kane, Amelie, Leon, How To Get A Head In Advertising, Rear Window, Blazing Saddles, The Apartment, Gangs of New York, Gregory's Girl, Local Hero, Heat, Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, American Beauty.....and many many more!!
Things that annoy me: Midgies, greed and travel insurance.
Things I couldn’t live without: My family & friends, my MacBook and the snooze button on my mobile.

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Michael MacKenzie - Trainer

Working as a trainer means that I get to help young people develop their skills, decide what they want to do in the future and help them to know how to get there, all in a real work setting. I help young people to move on to lots of different options, like college, further training or employment; I also support them to stick at whatever they progress to. 
Happiest when: I’m on the golf Course, playing Football or relaxing at home.
Scared of: Dogs
Music I like: Tommy Reilly, Mumford & Sons, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Coldplay, Paulo Nutini, Band of Horses, The Gaslight Anthem, Frightened Rabbit, Findo Gask... and many more
Favourite Films: Dumb and Dumber
Things that annoy me: The weather
Things I couldn’t live without: My Partner, Sky Sports, football, family and friends.

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"My favourite things to do are to spend time with my family and friends, walking my two dogs, Brian and Tyson, reading. I also love watching football and support ... wait for it...only the best football team – Liverpool!"

Tracey Storer
Trainer

My job as a Trainer means that I get to help young people to develop their skills, decide what they want to do in the future, and help them to get there. My job is based on a real work setting, and this helps the young people to get a realistic experience of what it will be like to be at work. The young people that I work with work on a range of activities like printing and designing t-shirts and mugs, and making items out of felt, like brooches and tea-cosies. I also help them with employability skills, and deliver nationally recognised qualifications.

There are so many things that I enjoy about my job. It’s really exciting to be involved in training young people, and helping them to develop their skills so that they can move on to great things when they progress on from Calman. The team at Calman are brilliant to work with, both the staff and the young people. I also really enjoy having the opportunity to try so many different things and learn so many new skills.

I have a background in teaching and lecturing, and I have worked with young people for a number of years, delivering national training programmes and helping them move into sustainable outcomes. I have learned lots from the young people that I have worked with, and from what they can achieve and I think that this has really helped me to plan and deliver the training that we do at Calman.

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"There are all sorts of things I like doing- pottery, mountain biking, gardening, walking my dog (I’m training him to shut the door behind him at the moment with not much success!) playing my cello, travelling, rock climbing, reading, baking cakes, camping, felting, climbing trees, spending time with friends and family… Loads of people think I’m really strange because I don’t have a telly, but I don’t see how anyone has time to watch one!."

Ferga Perry
Inspiring Arts Coordinator

My job is to inspire young people to try out different art activities. There are loads of different options- aerial dance, film making, graffiti art, street theatre, creative writing, and projection to name just a few. The idea is that there will be something for everyone and that the people who take part have an amazing experience, learn new skills and produce something they are really proud of. There are all sorts of brilliant things happening across Highland that you just don’t find out about- another part of my job is to scout about and find out what’s on in the art world, and let young people know it’s happening. I’m also working with other arts organisations to try and make access easier for young people, and to find out if there are opportunities in these organisations for training or mentoring for people who are interested in this.

I love working with young people, I love the idea of helping people try new things, and supporting people to learn about their skills and find out what they are good at. We’ve got a brilliant team at Calman and it’s great to work with people who are inspiring and enthusiastic about what they do too. I think I’ve got the best job in the world!

I’ve worked with young people my whole life in all sorts of situations from tall ships to residential units, and I’ve never stopped being inspired by their ability to do amazing things. I really believe that the more someone believes you can do, the more you become able to do, and I hope this comes across in the way I work.

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"When not at work I enjoy spending time with my mates and going to the gym. I’m a big music and movie fan and end up spending most of my spare time going to gigs."

Ryrie Oag
Trainer

Working as a trainer means that I get to help young people develop their skills, decide what they want to do in the future and help them to know how to get there, all in a real work setting. I help young people to move on to lots of different options, like college, further training or employment; I also support them to stick at whatever they progress to.

What I enjoy most about working at Calman is the variety of projects and tasks that we get to complete. I think that the people (staff and young people) I work with are great, making Calman a fantastic working environment.

I have always worked with young people in my previous jobs which has been within the Leisure industry, allowing me to draw upon a range of experiences to help me in my day-to-day job.

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