A STIRLING school has been hailed for its inspirational efforts in preparing young people for work after a teacher received a prestigious award.

Alan Hamilton, depute head at Stirling High, scooped Best Educator 2018 last week at the Founders4Schools ceremony in London.

The charity is dedicated to improving employment prospects for young people and the annual awards celebrates role models who have gone above and beyond.

Mr Hamilton said: “I’m very passionate about getting business leaders into local schools, but I soon found that you can very quickly exhaust your own contacts.

“I started using and sharing the Founders4Schools platform just over a year ago, and this has allowed us to introduce so many new business leaders into the school so that we can start building new relationships with them.

“We’ve now got a key mentoring programme with some of our girls studying computer science as a direct result of just one of our encounters, and we’ve got work experience and work placements lined up as a result of other encounters.

“This is greatly benefiting our young people and teaching them two key messages - it’s all about learning new skills, and there’s no wrong path to your future career.”

Councillor Susan McGill, convener of the Children and Young People Committee at Stirling Council, added: “We are delighted to be working with Founders4Schools, which is one of the many innovative ways we are expanding the opportunities for young people in Stirling.

“This award is fantastic recognition for the staff at the Stirling High, and the hard work being put in to inspire the next generation to achieve their potential and enter the workplace.

“A huge congratulations to everyone at the school on this well-deserved accolade.

“I know Stirling High and all the schools participating in this initiative have reported huge benefits, and by continuing to engage with Founders4Schools, we can continue to raise the bar of aspiration for our young people.”