Future outlook for Scottish apprentices is built on strong Foundations

The Herald Scotland

28-05-2025

They are a different way for learners to gain work-based learning qualifications at Higher level that develop the knowledge and skills valued by employers, colleges and universities.
Importantly, FAs don't rely on the so-called 'two-term dash' to the Higher exam, thus allowing learners to fully demonstrate their abilities and aptitudes.
Along with Fife schools, further education and industry partners, I worked with Skills Development Scotland on the pathfinder and introduction of FAs. This supported the need expressed by young people for significantly enhanced quality work related learning while at school and college, set out in the Scottish Government's Developing the Young Workforce strategy published in 2014.
Starting in engineering, we expanded the offer in all frameworks to all schools. The uptake was very strong from the beginning, showing that it met a need.
Later in North Lanarkshire we built FA opportunities, as part of the goal to raise attainment. Colleagues worked hard to develop the offer, which now takes in all SCQF levels of Foundation Apprenticeship, supporting the local economy and widening access to opportunities for young people.
Now, as Chief Executive at Highland Council, I oversee a team which has huge ambition and aspirations for Foundation Apprenticeships and other work-based learning pathways. The number of young people on FAs across Highland Council schools has almost doubled post pandemic, from 340 in 2021 to 662 in 2024/25. Delivered locally, FAs will play a crucial role in our community resilience strategies.
We want to get to the point where every child in the Highlands can access work related learning in their senior phase, with Foundation Apprenticeships embedded as an offer in every school.
Today, the Highlands is experiencing generational investment that will see up to £100bn come into the area in the next 20 years, driven by developments in the energy and construction sectors.
Not only does this present fantastic job opportunities within the sector, it will have a huge, knock-on effect on construction and housing with a massive demand for skills.
The Council is working as part of a collective effort led by Skills Development Scotland called Workforce North, which unites the local authority, enterprise and skills agencies, industry and employers to ensure these opportunities in the Highlands are realised in ways that young people benefit from.
This incredible exponential growth in demand requires a systematic approach to workforce (supply-side) solutions.
It is a pivotal time for embedding work-based pathways, with Foundation Apprenticeships central to the approach.
Foundation Apprenticeship frameworks align to our economic and workforce needs, developing a talent pipeline of young people for the future. They can lead to Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.
As one of the biggest employers in the region, Highland Council can demonstrate to other businesses the benefits of getting involved in such programmes, to tap into a pipeline of young talent.
On a wider scale, Foundation Apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity for Scotland. In 2024, the value of Scotland's FA programme was recognised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which is a global policy forum aimed at improving the economic and social well-being of people worldwide.
I am working with other Local Authority leaders to see how the programme can be expanded and offered across Scottish schools.
A Foundation Apprenticeship can provide individuals with crucial skills and knowledge that employers need. Our ambition should be to provide a Foundation Apprenticeship opportunity for every young person in Scotland.
At times of funding pressures, we need to be open to creative ways to upscale, such as co-funding by businesses, the local authority and national partners – the national best practice models already do this.
Foundation Apprenticeships can be an effective form of soft-recruitment for employers and can help them build important talent pipelines.
The quality experiences young people get of working with employers and undertaking industry challenges before leaving school can be life-changing, especially for those from more disadvantaged and rural backgrounds.
The ultimate goal is getting the best opportunities for young people and supporting them to contribute to the growth of Scotland's economy.
To achieve this goal requires shared vision across all partners, harnessing the partnership approach that created Foundation Apprenticeships a decade ago. Foundation Apprenticeships were a creative solution for a 21st century education system – it's now time for us to work together to find the means to scale up and embed them across Scottish schools.
Demand for Foundation Apprenticeships is driving innovation at Oban High School
FOUNDATION Apprenticeships are not just a successful part of the current curriculum at Oban High School – the school believes they are central to its long-term vision for a more inclusive and flexible education system.
The school is contracted directly to deliver learning provision of Foundation Apprenticeships, using its state-of-the-art facilities to provide training on site whilst partnerships with local employers allow pupils to gain relevant, hands-on experience as part of their qualification.
Delivering Foundation Apprenticeships since 2019, Oban High initially introduced Business Skills at SCQF Level 6 before growing the offer across more subjects and at different levels.
(Image: Current Foundation Apprentices at Oban High were visited by former pupil Owen Moran)
Pupils can now also choose from Engineering at SCQF Level 6 and Construction and Hospitality subjects at SCQF Level 5.
Demand in uptake continues to grow year-on-year, and all Foundation Apprenticeship pathways planned for delivery in 2025/26 are already oversubscribed.
Executive Head Teacher Peter Bain said: 'At Oban High School, Foundation Apprenticeships are not an add-on — they're an integral part of how we're building a future-ready curriculum. Our success so far shows that schools can lead this work effectively, with the right support.
'Every Foundation Apprenticeship we're offering for the next academic year is already oversubscribed. The appetite for Foundation Apprenticeships is strong — we could double our places tomorrow and still not meet demand. That tells us everything we need to know about pupil demand and the value young people place on these opportunities. That's why we're working to expand our offer across more sectors.'
The school believes the appetite from pupils and families reinforces the need to further expand both capacity and choice of Foundation Apprenticeships.
(Image: Oban High Executive Head Teacher, Peter Bain)
It is actively exploring the introduction of additional frameworks at SCQF Level 5 and 6, including Creative and Digital Media, Food and Drink Technologies, Financial Services and Automotive Engineering.
Peter added: 'We are actively exploring new Foundation Apprenticeship pathways in areas like digital media, financial services and automotive, because pupils are asking for them. They want meaningful qualifications that connect them to real careers.
'This vision for expansion is not driven by targets or external pressures, it is a deliberate move to better serve the diverse strengths, interests, and ambitions of young people.'
As the first learning provider to deliver the Engineering Foundation Apprenticeship in one academic year, the school also has ambitions to co-design more Foundation Apprenticeship models, drawing on partnerships with local and national employers to ensure pathways remain relevant, engaging, and aligned with future workforce needs.
Peter added: 'Foundation Apprenticeships at Oban High School are about creating more routes to success, not narrowing them.
'We're excited about the future of FAs — not only in expanding what's offered, but in helping to shape entirely new frameworks alongside industry and education partners.'
For more information about Foundation Apprenticeships visit apprenticeships.scot