A Castlehead High alumni has told of how going to college first helped him decide what he wanted to do as pupils in Renfrewshire receive their exam results today.

Jamie Johnston, who is currently in third year at university studying graphic design, said he didn't know what career he wanted to pursue when he was studying at the Paisley school.

He told The Gazette: "I was very lucky to have teachers who collectively gave me a push towards graphic design when I was in sixth year.

"It was always something I enjoyed but I wasn’t very confident in my work. 

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"My teachers instilled the belief in me that I could apply for college, which then lead me to university."

While Jamie has been studying, he's also been building his own career designing merch and branding materials for Scottish bands.

He explained: "My name is getting out there through word of mouth that I can design work for their gigs, for CD covers, and merch. I've been creating whole packages of themed work for them.

"The first musician I worked with was Johnny Madden with his Baby Strange punk band from Glasgow. He liked what I did and is in Callum Beattie's band, so he passed on my name to him.

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"Working with Callum was amazing because it was the first time that I was working with people from a major record label.

"Emailing people in Sony Music was exciting and something I’d never done before. I learned a lot from that work and it really helped me develop confidence in my own creativity.

"I continue to do a lot of work in the Glasgow music scene, particularly punk and indie music, but I dedicate most of my time to my studies. I feel like I am still learning and that my course will help me develop my skills."

Jamie said going to college first was the right choice for him, and he would encourage other young people to consider it.

He said: "Going through this route hasn't been as intense as it would have been if I had gone straight to university at the end of school. I've gotten benefits from taking my time and now I understand what I want to do.

"Don't feel like the world ends if you don’t go to university or that you have to make up your mind before you leave school because that is so not the case."

Castlehead High School have a joint partnership with Glasgow School of Art through Castlehead School of Creativity to support young people to learn by developing their art and creative skills.