Coming home to new opportunities

Like many academically gifted students, university seemed like the obvious next step. 

“I did well at school and there was an expectation that you would move on to university. It wasn’t something unique to me – everyone had the same thinking,” said Rachel (23). 

But while studying away from home, Rachel began to realise that the Highlands she had grown up in was changing – and so too were the opportunities available for young people like her.  

The winds of change blowing through the Highlands 

During her final year at university, Rachel joined Inverness-based firm Ri Cruden for a marketing internship, working a few days each week alongside her studies. 

It was then that she became exposed to the scale of activity that was happening across the region, much of it being driven by a new initiative – Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport. 

She said: “It struck me that the Highlands had become such a busy place. I wondered if it had always been that way and I’d just been unaware, but what I kept hearing was that local companies were experiencing new demand. They were busy and they were going to need a lot of people to fill jobs.” 

Ri Cruden is a mechanical, electrical engineering, renewables contractor working across domestic and commercial installations – including heat pumps and solar technology – placing the company right at the heart of the region’s transition to clean energy. 

Rachel stayed on with the company as a freelancer while finishing her degree, and the more she learned about the sector, the clearer her decision became. When a full-time role became available, she didn’t hesitate. 

“I realised that coming back home wasn’t going to be the backwards step that we’re often led to believe.” 

When a full-time role became available, she didn’t hesitate. 

Renewables is not all about engineering  

Today, Rachel works as business and marketing co-ordinator at Ri Cruden, a role that gives her insight into how rapidly the Highlands economy is evolving. Her day-to-day work is wide-ranging, from capturing drone footage to business compliance to supporting recruitment. 

One part of the role she is particularly passionate about is helping to bring new apprentices into the business. Ri Cruden currently employs 24 apprentices and recruits around six to eight new trainees each year. 

Rachel explained: “With the Green Freeport and wider investment happening across the region, companies need to build a strong talent pipeline so they can scale and grow. 

“Renewables may be driving it, but the opportunities extend far beyond the things we associate with the sector like turbines and infrastructure. You don’t need to work directly in renewables. You could work in marketing like me, or in HR, hospitality, logistics – the list goes on.” 

Rethinking what success looks like 

Returning to the Highlands after several years away came with some adjustments. 

Many of Rachel’s university friends stayed in the cities where they studied, meaning she returned to a different kind of social life and friendship circle than the one she left behind. 

But it has given her the opportunity to build both a career and a future in the same place. 

“It’s a different way of life here. It’s not a big city, but there are lots of opportunities. I’ve been able to think about buying my own home – that’s something that would have been much harder in another city,” she said. 

Looking back on her own journey, Rachel believes the key message for young people is simple: there is no single path to success. 

“You don’t need to follow the crowd,” said Rachel. “Going to university was the right choice for me at the time, but I didn’t explore all the options available to me, including those close to home. 

“There are exciting things happening here across lots of different industries. If you look locally, you’ll be surprised by the opportunities that exist. 

“It’s not going to be perfect and amazing all the time, but it’s home.”