Tain youngsters gets hands-on with trailblazing £1.8m Gro for You community campus
YOUNG people in an Easter Ross community are getting hands-on experience in the construction of a trailblazing £1.8m campus that aims to help retain talent in the Highlands.
Backers believe the Gro For You Community Innovation Campus has the ability to transform Tain by delivering much-needed community and visitor facilities while providing living learning environments for local young people.
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A sustainable, modern building with geodesic learning domes, Phase One of the facility is not due to open until next year.
However, the concept is already delivering on one key objective, with learners getting involved in the construction of the campus itself.
In association with Community Trade Hub Ltd, campus partner For You Training has been involving young people in tailored learning camps on the construction site next to the A9.
During the five-day sessions, students have helped to landscape and undertake construction projects within the campus playparks and growing areas.
Furthermore, after being given an overview of the design plan, they have also built and painted fencing and created raised beds and planters for food growing whilst learning the essentials of health and safety and safe tool use.
Giving young people the essential skills and opportunities to remain in the North Highlands, thereby slowing youth migration, is one of the drivers for the new campus.
The community trade hub learning camps at the construction site build upon that goal.
They also cement the progress already being made by partner, For You Training, which has revealed its latest results for the provision of Foundation Apprenticeships in the local area.
The award-winning social enterprise has enrolled 782 young people on a Foundation Apprenticeship within hospitality and business skills.
In 2024, they had a 95 per cent retention rate with an 89 per cent attainment rate.
The success now means their programmes are over-subscribed by approximately 84 per cent, proving the impact they are having in attracting young people who may see their future outside of the traditional path.
“The students have been involved in construction projects and they have also had the opportunity to participate in the design of follow-up programmes, coming up with ideas for things that they could make using the materials available on-site,” said Gro For You co-founder and CEO, Sarah MacKenzie.
“More experienced groups will have the opportunity to support trained supervisors to refurbish our community workshop and welfare space.”
Gro For You co-founder Richard Jones added: “We also have an October holiday camp coming up where existing and new students will be able to take part in all aspects of learning, on-site”.
When complete, the Gro For You Community Innovation Campus is predicted to attract 26,000 visitors per year, also providing much-needed facilities for campervans travelling the NC500.
It will specialise in training of food technologies, hospitality, business and employability, with living learning environments including net zero and renewables.
The campus will also include a training centre with office space, training kitchen and café, with all areas, including the domes, becoming environments for learning.
The lastest development comes at a time when the Tain and Easter Ross area is also looking forward to the opening of a new 3-18 year-old school campus in the town.
The project — whose opening has been delayed again until February of next year — is set to replace Tain Royal Academy and a number of primary schools in buildings now deemed no longer fit for purpose.