Royal Dornoch Golf Club celebrates accolade for work with young people
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A WORLD-FAMOUS Highland golf club has become the first business of its kind in Scotland to secure a prestigious accolade for working with young people.
The Royal Dornoch Golf Club is seeking to achieve Investors in Young People (IIYP) accreditation as a way of developing young members of staff.
Royal Dornoch recently passed an Investors in People assessment and has now decided to pursue the new IIYP award, launched by the Scottish Government earlier this year as part of a flagship policy to reward and recognise employers who employ people aged between 16 and 24.
The club, which is part of the Highland Golf Links (HGL) partnership, is committed to providing employment to local youngsters who work in all sections of the operation, from green staff and caddie team, to the pro shop and the clubhouse kitchen and front of house.
This year the club employed over 50 full-time, part-time and seasonal staff, with young people making up almost half the total.
Neil Hampton, Royal Dornoch’s general manager, said: “Having IIP accreditation means a great deal to the club as we recognise that our staff are the biggest asset and make the Royal Dornoch experience what it is.
“Looking after the staff and ensuring that they are all involved in the growth of the club will ensure that we continue to be recognised as one of the best golfing locations in the world.
“Seeking IIYP is an extension of that process. Young people can sometimes feel lost or intimidated when moving into the working environment, so showing them how important they are to us will help them settle in as well as helping them to understand what Royal Dornoch does.
“When recruiting, we always approach our local school first and look to offer the positions to local people, while also encouraging work experience placements.
“I am trying to build closer links to the schools so that they know more about us and we can tap into their abilities.”
