Nearly 40 students have explored future career opportunities with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).

The students from Holyrood Secondary School and Shawlands Academy in Glasgow were accompanied by Developing Young Workforce (DYW) coordinators as part of the Young Minds Saves Lives Programme.

They visited three SAS sites to gain insight into potential career paths.

The first stop was the ScotSTAR base at Glasgow Airport, which houses the air ambulance team, the Emergency Medical Response Service, and the neonatal and paediatric teams.

Here, they were introduced to the unique service that operates as a multi-disciplinary team of paramedics, nurses, advanced practitioners, and doctors who work with pilots to provide care to seriously ill babies, children, and adults across Scotland using helicopters and planes.

The students also heard from an air ambulance paramedic and Gama Aviation, who spoke about the various roles they employ to support the ScotSTAR service, including ground handlers, engineers, pilots and aviation support staff.

The visit to ScotSTAR concluded with a tour of the base and an up-close look at an air ambulance helicopter.

Following this, the pupils visited Glasgow South Station to learn about the frontline role of the staff and toured an ambulance.

The students also heard from an air ambulance paramedic and Gama Aviation (Image: Supplied) Their final stop was the SAS Ambulance Control Centre (ACC) in Paisley, where they were informed about the numerous roles within the ACC and given the chance to create imaginary 999 calls.

Haya Waseem, from Holyrood Secondary School, said: "I really enjoyed visiting the Scottish Ambulance Service and hearing from members of staff about the area they work in and what they do as part of their jobs.

"The tours of the air ambulance and road ambulance were my highlights, and the visit has also made me think that I could potentially do one of these jobs in the future."

Michael Dickson, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "It was an absolute pleasure to welcome the young people to the Scottish Ambulance Service as part of the Young Minds Save Lives programme.

"Along with equipping young people with critical knowledge and skills on how to respond in a medical emergency and preventative healthcare, an important part of the programme is to raise awareness about opportunities for volunteering and future careers in healthcare.

"Many thanks to our staff who made the visits so fun and engaging."