Better Understanding for Better Working Relationships - New Workshop Launched

Be the Manager Future Generations Thank

How would you like to be remembered as the manager who truly made a difference—someone who helped a young person get on the right path and inspired them to succeed? Imagine being the leader that future generations refer to as the person who believed in them, supported them, and helped shape their career.

At Developing the Young Workforce Inverness & Central Highland (DYWICH), we hear regularly from employers who want to be that kind of leader—an employer of choice for young people. But while the intention is there, the reality can be more complex.

As Sandra McCaughey, Employer Engagement Manager at DYWICH, explains, “We work with loads of great employers and often hear that they want to be an ‘employer of choice’ for young people moving into employment, but sometimes that can present challenges. The fit is not always what it could be, and what is really needed is a greater sense of mutual understanding and rapport so that both parties can set themselves up for success. Supporting recruitment and retention always makes business sense.”

That’s why, over the past few months, DYWICH has been working closely with Clan Alchemy, an Inverness-based business culture consultancy specialising in human understanding. Together, we’ve been exploring how the one-size-fits-all approach to managing and engaging young talent simply doesn’t work.

In response, Clan Alchemy has developed a brand-new workshop designed to support employers in building better, more effective working relationships with young people. Following a successful pilot with a select group of Highland businesses, we're now ready to roll the workshop out to a wider audience - with support from DYWICH.

Exclusive Opportunity: Free Workshop Places

DYWICH is sponsoring 10 free places (one per business) on this insightful and practical half-day workshop. Attendees will explore the influence and responsibility employers hold during the formative years of a young person’s working life.

The session will cover:

• How we experience and interpret understanding

• Why we all see the world through different lenses - and how to recognise this in others

• How to engage and communicate more effectively across generational perspectives

“Our overarching aim is to help businesses get the most out of any young people who join their team,” Sandra adds. “That they are understood, supported and managed effectively - so the investment in their training and development stays within the business for the long term.”

Workshop Details

Title: Better Understanding for Better Working Relationships
Date: Friday, 20 June 2025
Time: 9.00am arrival for 9.30am start – finishes at 1.30pm
Venue: Inverness Chamber of Commerce, 31–33 High Street, Inverness, IV1 1HT
Cost: £50 per person (10 sponsored places available – one per business)

To express interest in attending, please email sandra@inverness-chamber.co.uk. You’ll be notified as soon as possible if you’ve been allocated a sponsored place.

Let’s harness and retain the talent of young people—together.