Breaking Barriers

Our Breaking Barriers programme enables young people who have barriers to education and employment to attend a world-class business school. It helps them achieve an accredited qualification and gain real work with some of Scotland’s highest profile corporate employers.

Since 2018, Breaking Barriers has been consistently providing young people with invaluable routes into employment. In recent years 90% of all our Breaking Barriers graduates have gone onto to secure employment or further education and training opportunities.

A winning partnership

The programme is led by Enable Works in partnership with the University of Strathclyde Business School, ScottishPower and STV. It has been commended by the Scottish Government Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, Jamie Hepburn MSP and the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee MSP.

The programme has been recognised with several awards:

• winner – Spotlight Award, Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2020

• winner – Widening Participation/Outreach Initiative of the Year, Times Higher Education Awards 2019

• winner – Youth Employment Award, The Herald Diversity Awards 2018

• finalist – Pioneering Project category, Scottish Charity Awards 2018

• shortlisted – Education Initiative of the Year, The Herald Society Awards 2018

It also supported University of Strathclyde to become University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2019

“There is no programme which ScottishPower runs that delivers greater impact or that has given me more pleasure to support. Thank you to Enable and the University of Strathclyde Business School. Breaking Barriers – it does what it says!”

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive, ScottishPower

“Breaking Barriers is a globally renowned, award-winning, high- impact program. It helps us break the glass ceiling for young disabled people to truly realise their potential and take their rightful place in corporate Scotland.”

Theresa Shearer, CEO, Enable

“As the ‘place of useful learning’, Strathclyde is committed to being socially progressive. This also means being inclusive and opening Higher Education to all, so we are delighted to be pioneering the Breaking Barriers initiative.”

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor, University of Strathclyde

“I am proud that we will be welcoming students from the Breaking Barriers programme. It really has never been more important for organisations to take steps to become more accessible to provide opportunities to young people to unleash the talent we have from right across Scotland.”

Simon Pitts, chief executive, STV Group