Project Description

In this series, we introduce the board members of DYW Fife and share why they wanted to get involved with the initiative. In this edition, we introduce you to Lisa Bray.

Tell us about you, where you are from and career to date?

I’m the Owner Director of Eden Fyfe, an accountancy and business advisory practice based in Glenrothes, Fife. We typically work with SMEs across multiple sectors, with the majority of our clients also being based in Fife. We support them with accountancy and tax services, business growth support as well as other ad hoc advisory requests. We have a strong team of 15 at present and we are currently recruiting so this will grow soon.

I also live in Fife and come from the area originally. I attended Balwearie High School and have a lot of friends and family in the area.

How did you first get involved with DYW Fife?

I was approached by an existing board member about 5 years ago as they thought my background in finance would bring valuable expertise to the board. I was excited to bring my sector knowledge and make an impact in the community and since I joined, I’ve found that the experience has been incredibly rewarding.

The key thing that piqued my interest in becoming a board member is that I have been fortunate enough through my career to engage with many other business owners in Fife who have shared their concerns on recruitment, cost of training and upskilling people in their business. This is something that DYW actively supports, so it was great to be part of a team that can provide solutions to businesses that also provide great outcomes for young people in the area.

As a DYW Fife board member? What areas of what the organisation does are you most passionate about?

It is fantastic to be involved in the schemes that support the transition from education into the workplace and help young people better understand what is expected of them as part of a team. It can be a culture shock going from school pupil to responsible employee so any initiative that supports young people through that transition is something that I wholeheartedly support. There are already some great programmes, such as Handpicked and Career Ready that do a fantastic job with our young people, our main goal is to keep building on this.

What is the main challenge that DYW Fife is responsible for tackling and how does it help?

As mentioned, the transition from education to the workplace can be daunting for a young person if you don’t know what to expect. There are certain soft skills that are valuable in the workplace that won’t necessarily be taught in a classroom. DYW Fife is responsible for facilitating connections between businesses and education that can help that transition and also have the added value of supporting businesses in finding a future star of their industry. A pupil might come to work with your company on a two-week work placement and fall in love with a role at a business they didn’t know existed. This experience can help the young person gain confidence and skills as well as supporting the business in finding the next generation of their workforce so it is a win-win for both groups.

What would you say to people who are thinking about getting involved with DYW?

My advice to any business owner who wants to get involved with DYW Fife is to definitely go ahead and reach out to us, whether that be joining the board or even engaging with your local co-ordinator to give a talk to the local school. You can be part of shaping the future workforce and I think that’s a really exciting opportunity.