East Kilbride teen one of first in Scotland to have 'unusual' job

However, the trainee undertaker – who at just 17 is one of the youngest in the country – says she is honoured to have the chance to help families during their most difficult times.

“I’ve been doing this for seven months now and I can’t imagine ever doing anything else,” says Ellie, who is from East Kilbride.

Fed up with school, and unsure of her next steps, Ellie joined South Lanarkshire Council’s youth employability service, Aspire following a referral by her pupil support teacher.

Ellie with Fosters MD Nick McLaughlin (Image: South Lanarkshire Council)

During her first meeting with Aspire key worker Debbie Taggart, Ellie revealed she had long harboured an ambition to work in the funeral industry.

“I’d heard about it from my aunt, who had started working in the industry a couple of years ago, and I found it fascinating,” says Ellie.

“When I first met Debbie, I told her the I really liked the idea of having such an important part in a family’s life at such a challenging time.

“I think she was surprised that a young person wanted to do this, but when she saw how keen I was she just ran with it. I couldn’t believe it a week later when she told me there was a meeting lined up with Fosters.”

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The Rutherglen family firm were so impressed with Ellie after an interview and week’s work placement, that they offered her a permanent job on the spot.

Ellie Scott (Image: South Lanarkshire Council)

“I was terrified about the interview,” admits Ellie. “I didn’t really ‘get’ school and because of that, I didn’t think there would be many doors open to me.

“I’m really grateful to Debbie and Aspire for helping me each step of the way, and opening those doors for me.”

She adds: “I would say to anyone who gets to fifth or sixth year and who still isn’t enjoying school to definitely take the option of a meeting with Aspire.

“I am doing things I never thought I could. After just seven months in the job, I can’t imagine wanting to do anything else. It’s a privilege and it’s all down to Aspire and Fosters for both taking a chance on me.”

For Debbie and her colleagues at Aspire, it is all in a day’s work.

Debbie explains: “The role that we play in supporting young people into positive destinations is different with everyone we work with. In Ellie’s case she had the spark and the determination, and my job was to help create the opportunity as, to date, this was an industry with which we hadn’t worked.

“I have to say that I was delighted when I reached out to Fosters at how open they were to take what was potentially a big gamble on a young person in what might be considered an unusual career aspiration.

“But both they, and Ellie, have been phenomenal. For everyone involved it has been such a rewarding and inspirational journey.”

Nick McLaughlin, MD of Fosters, admitted the company knew it was taking a risk on such a young person.

He says: “Working in the funeral industry is an uncommon choice for young people at the beginning of their careers; it is often veiled in mystery and stereotype, especially for those who have yet to experience loss in their own lives.

“It requires maturity, rationality, a cool head, and a warm heart – not qualities some would expect to be present in many 17-year-olds but Ellie is a diligent, dedicated and hardworking colleague.”

Nick adds: “We were unsure how our customers, experiencing a deep sense of loss and other visceral and complex emotions, might respond. We worried about the more practical aspects of working in the funeral industry, specifically how a young person might react to being exposed to deceased persons and their ability to assimilate to the tasks needed.”

Ellie admits there are aspects of the job which are not always easy.

“It can be tough, but I don’t feel fazed by it,” she says. “Sometimes when I get home, I will talk over anything that’s on my mind with my mum and then I can put it to one side. Doing this job is a privilege.”

Rob Milligan, Youth Employability Team Leader at Aspire says: “Aspire has links with all of South Lanarkshire’s secondary schools and we meet hundreds of young people each year, often when things are not going so well in their lives.

“Our job is essentially to create a level playing field for the young people we work with, to be an advocate for those already full of potential and supporting them to take that next step.

“Making a difference is hugely rewarding but when someone like Ellie comes along and through the hard work of all involved pays off so successfully, there is nothing like it.”