19-year-old Nikita Kozminykh left school at the age of 15 and returned to education earlier this year to study a business course at City of Glasgow College. Speaking of the support he received from the STAY team, Nikita said: "It's much better than I ever thought. My support worker, Gillian, has helped me look for work and speaks to student advisors on my behalf. We have chats about life and she helps me feel better about situations. I plan to study a HNC or HND then to progress to university. I want to keep studying and to get as much out of education as possible."
Hazel Kelly, STAY transition mentor at Glasgow Kelvin College, explained: "The transition from school to college can be daunting for young learners, particularly those from more vulnerable backgrounds who may not have support in place from family members. My role involved helping to make these pupils feel supported with the transition so when they start their studies, they feel as comfortable and confident as possible in the new environment. I take them on trial bus runs and am involved in campus tours, as well as continuing to support them while they're at college if they have any issues, either within college or outside the college gates."
Marlyn Davidson has been with the STAY service since its inception and is the practice team leader, managing support staff across the Glasgow colleges.
Marlyn explained: "Working alongside the partners in the college, the support we provide is absolutely crucial. The support goes beyond the college walls as we help students with mental wellness, financial support, housing and more. We do everything we can to ensure young people get their fair chance to sustain their place at college.
"We couldn't have done this without the support from Glasgow Colleges' Regional Board and the colleges. It's a privilege to be part of this service and to work closely with our partners. Together, we're making a real difference."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met the first care-experienced students to benefit from the service in 2020 at Glasgow Kelvin College to show her support for the 'vital' initiative.
Martin Boyle, Executive Director at Glasgow Colleges' Regional Board, added: "The Glasgow college region is committed to working collaboratively for the benefit of our students and to ensuring that vulnerable learners, in particular, have support in place to enable them to progress at college and beyond.
"The STAY service has proved to be a very successful initiative, thanks to the dedication of the support workers, staff from across the colleges and our partners. We look forward to continuing to work with the team and to the service developing in future for our learners."
Read more here about how the service has developed since launching and the support in place for Glasgow's learners.