Five full days of promoting Skills for the Future kicks off as Scotland marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week.
This annual event highlights the importance of investing in our workforce by celebrating the achievements of apprentices – and recognising the support given to them by businesses and organisations.
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To support this year’s Skills for the Future theme, activities are planned across Scotland, including open days, job fairs, parents’ evenings, NHS Career forums and Army Apprenticeship meetings. There are also events aimed specifically at promoting gender equality, with subjects such as Girls into Plumbing and Women in Plumbing.
Glasgow Kelvin College – on behalf of the city’s regional colleges – will also be hosting an event at The Glasgow Film Theatre to raise awareness of Foundation Apprenticeships.
The week-long celebration is timely, with apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities in Scotland growing in popularity every day. No longer seen as second fiddle to studying at college or university, apprenticeships are attracting more young people, all of whom are keen to continue their further education while earning at the same time.
More businesses are getting behind apprenticeships, too, as owners and managers increasingly recognise the value of having employees with the right skills who can be immediately productive in the workplace – representing a real-time return on the company’s investment.
Training body Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has also announced its plans to provide more than 5000 Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) opportunities for school pupils. There are 12 different types on offer and, although the majority focus on industries that are strong on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills, each offers a fast route to an enjoyable career.
The real formula for success can be found in the combination of excellent out-of-school education, normally with a college, and hands-on, work-based learning with an employer.
Available to pupils in S5 and S6 pupils alongside their other chosen subjects, an FA normally takes two years and ultimately provides a qualification at the same level as a Higher.
Engineering apprenticeships are among the most sought-after, with many choosing to specialise in civil, mechanical, aeronautical, electrical and telecommunications. That’s welcome news for the industry – it’s estimated companies across the UK will need 182,000 workers with engineering skills every year up until 2022.
As well as being given high-quality training, apprentice engineers are also well paid and, once qualified, are already several rungs above school-leavers and graduates on the career ladder.
No matter which apprenticeship is chosen, with time being split between the workplace and college or university – and for some school, too – there’s always a healthy work-education-life balance.
Of course, being surrounded by experienced professionals means an apprentice always has someone to watch and learn from. This includes boosting so-called ‘soft skills’. It’s no surprise 94% of those who’ve taken FAs say they now have improved communication skills, 90% have gained personal confidence, 87% are better at teamwork and 76% have raised their game in solving problems. All of these are invaluable talents in any jobs sector, but particularly in areas such as admin, customer services and HR.
For apprentices who love working with numbers, the time spent earning while learning can ultimately add up to lucrative full-time jobs in accountancy, insurance, banking and financial services.
If caring for others is a passion, an FA in Social Services and Healthcare will help apprentices prepare for a wide range of different care roles, including looking after sick, injured or disabled people as an adult nurse or children’s nurse, or supporting those at home or in residential homes as a care home manager, care assistant or residential support worker.
From engineering and science to production and food and drink and from social services and healthcare to finance and HR, apprenticeships cover nearly every sector you can imagine…and that could soon include the law too.
The Scottish Government’s Justice Committee has been in talks with the Law Society of Scotland and SDS about introducing a legal apprenticeship scheme. Right now graduate apprenticeships are the primary focus but the initiative could be rolled out to school-leavers and later-in-life career changers.
With the legal sector so study-intensive, the apprenticeship programme could prove a huge advantage to anyone who has to earn while they learn but can’t afford to take time out to hit the books.
Last but not least, there are apprenticeships in cutting-edge technologies, where beginners are pioneers leading innovation in Scottish workplaces. For example, an estimated 90,000-plus people work in digital technology roles across the country, with top jobs including cyber security analysts and IT support technicians.
Channel your inner IT guru and you could soon be a leader in a field that encompasses everything from gaming and virtual reality apps to cyber security and software development.
From plumbing to programming and construction sites to science labs, whatever apprenticeship you choose, be sure to check out the latest earn-while-you-learn opportunities on s1jobs.