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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's apprenticeship experiences work in the modern world
Since then, tens of thousands of young people each year have developed skills employers want and the economy needs. Since 2008, Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland have been administered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scotland's national skills body. Chair of SDS, Frank Mitchell said: 'Apprenticeships are made to support individuals, employers and Scotland's economy, by offering high quality opportunities for people to gain valuable skills that support them throughout their career and meet industry demands now and for the future. 'Modern Apprenticeships are giving people from diverse backgrounds, including those from areas of social deprivation, the opportunity to get into meaningful and fulfilling employment.' Chief Executive of the Scottish Training Federation, Stuart McKenna, was part of the original creation of frameworks in 1995. There are now around 80 Modern Apprenticeship frameworks covering hundreds of different job types. He said: 'Modern Apprenticeships are as crucial to the economy now as they were then – if not more important. 'Working with employers and partners, training providers want to see Scotland's apprenticeship system grow and thrive for the next thirty years and beyond.' Since 2008, businesses have created more than 400,000 Modern Apprenticeship jobs. Modern Apprenticeship training is funded and administered by SDS on behalf of the Scottish Government. (Image: Apprentice Angus Webb and Operations Manager Austen Brooks from W M Donald) SDS works with employers to develop apprenticeships, to ensure they meet industry needs and that apprentices develop the right skills for now and the future. This includes a major programme of apprenticeship redevelopment, placing employers and employees at the heart of reviewing and redesigning existing standards and frameworks for their sector. The agency also worked with partners to develop and introduce innovations such as Foundation Apprenticeships and Graduate Apprenticeships. Modern Apprenticeships are jobs for people over 16 so they can work, earn and learn. Foundation Apprenticeships are for school pupils to provide work-based learning pathways and learning at a similar level to a Higher. While Graduate Apprenticeships mean getting a job, getting paid and getting qualified up to Master's degree level. Employers across Scotland, from family firms to multi-nationals, continue to benefit from apprenticeships securing the skills their businesses need. Human Resources Manager at Aberdeenshire civil engineering and construction firm W M Donald, Rachel O'Donnell, said: 'Apprenticeships are central to our success. They've contributed to our impressive turnover and play a crucial role in ensuring we have a diverse and sustainable talent pipeline.' Apprentice Coordinator at GE Aerospace in Ayrshire, Aidan McIntyre, said: 'Apprentices bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that help retain a competitive edge. 'When you combine that energy with the experience you already have, it's a cocktail for success.' Senior Project Manager at Scottish Water Horizons, Ian Piggott, said: 'Employing apprentices gives Scottish Water a chance to build for the future, match our training to specific roles and create resilience.' Owner and Operations Director at Proterra Energy in Inverness, Terry Stebbings, said: 'Apprenticeships are a great way to bring new talent into our company and train them to match our business needs.' Capability Manager at global firm Diageo, Rhoda Gabellone, said: 'Modern Apprenticeships help us build a highly skilled talent pipeline in particular areas of engineering that are unique to our business. 'Apprentices bring a fresh perspective and help us keep pace with technological advances.' Senior People Development Adviser at Aberdeen-based energy and materials firm Wood, Elaine MacRae, said: 'Apprenticeships address challenges like an ageing workforce and bring fresh talent to improve business practices. 'Many apprentices advance to senior roles and mentor the next generation.' Community Benefits Manager at Perth-based fenestration firm Sidey Solutions, Donna Montgomery, said: 'Apprenticeships are an ideal way for us to bring new talent into our business, allowing us to invest in and build our own talent pool of professionally qualified and committed employees. 'We haven't looked back since introducing apprenticeships. 'It was becoming more difficult to recruit, and it was crucial to address this potential risk to our business. We knew we had to grow our installer team and replenish the skillset we depend on. Sidey was established in 1932. If we want to be around for another 93 years, we need apprentices to take the business forward.' n Find out more online at .
The Herald Scotland
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Future outlook for Scottish apprentices is built on strong Foundations
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
The Herald Scotland
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Can new apprenticeships help boost Scottish education?
What are Foundation Apprenticeships and how do they work? Introduced in 2015 with an initial cohort of around 350 young people, Foundation Apprenticeships are qualifications for school pupils that combine traditional academic learning with extended periods of workplace learning. Many Foundation Apprenticeships are also delivered in partnership with colleges, with courses typically incorporating NC or NPA qualifications and SVQ units. According to Skills Development Scotland, the courses are intended to 'help young people gain valuable, real-world work experience and access work-based learning while they're still at school.' During the first few years of the FA programme courses were only available at SCQF level 6, which is broadly equivalent to the achievement of a Higher; however, courses at levels 4 and 5 have also been developed, and have proven popular amongst young people. Typically, a Foundation Apprenticeship lasts for two years and has no formal exam, with students instead assessed on an going basis and often in real-world contexts. At SCQF level 6, available FA programmes include Civil Engineering, Creative and Digital Media, Food and Drink Technologies, Social Services and Healthcare, and more. At levels 4 and 5, courses are available in the areas of Automotive, Construction and Hospitality. When were they introduced and how many are completed? Foundation Apprenticeships were introduced in 2015 with a cohort of around 350 young people. Initially offered only at SCQF level 6, a pilot programme has since explored the expansion of the FA qualification to levels 4 and 5. According to a 2023 report for the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland, the success rates for full achievement of Level 6 Foundation Apprenticeships was very low in its first year – just 37.3% - but increased over the next three years and reached 47.9% in 2019. Students who achieve some sort of recognition of their learning, but do not pass the full apprenticeship are recorded under the heading 'partial achievement'. When these young people are included, the 2019 combined success rate stands at around 80 percent. Data for those enrolled in 2020 reveals a decline in both the full and partial achievement rates, and an increase in the number of participants who managed 'no achievement' – however, the full impact of Covid on this cohort remains unclear. At levels 4 and 5, pilots for which were held between 2019 and 2021, the number of young people managing full achievement of the FA is higher, but so is the proportion recorded as entirely unsuccessful. At present, the Scottish Government states that it funds around 5000 Foundation Apprenticeships a year, but in each of the last three academic years fewer than 1300 school leavers had secured the qualification. A 2022 report into Foundation Apprenticeships by Education Scotland found that 'full programme attainment rates vary significantly between local authorities and providers, and across subject frameworks.' It added that 'too many young people do not attain the full programme, and receive only component or partial elements of the award.' Unfortunately, up to date information in this area has not been made available, so it is impossible to know the current full and partial completion rates for the programme. So the data suggests that improvements are required? Absolutely – and the 2022 Education Scotland report (which was based on a review carried out between March 2020 and November 2021) reached the same conclusion. The document noted a range of strengths and successes from the initial years of the programme, pointing out that 'almost all' senior phase pupils had the opportunity to apply for a Foundation Apprenticeship, and that effective and equitable recruitment strategies are found across the country. Strong and collaborative relationships between schools and partner organisations were also highlighted, although the report did state that this has not been achieved universally. The content of lessons and activities were praised in the report, as was the model of ongoing assessment that underpins the programme. The authors also noted that attainment and progression rates had been improving. However, a significant number of issues were also raised throughout the report. Challenges included 'stubborn' patterns of gender stereotyping, a lack of awareness amongst 'teachers, parents, carers and young people', limitations imposed by 'technical incompatibility between school and college systems', the lack of any 'clear structure' for evaluating and improving the programme, and more. Of particular concern – if not huge surprise – is the observation that some Scottish teenagers, whose education has been hugely influenced by the structures and demands of traditional exams, are 'insufficiently prepared for undertaking competency based assessment' of the type required in the much-discussed 'real world'. Case study: Aberdeenshire The Foundation Apprenticeship programme across the area is managed by a specialist central team, and at school level the courses are properly timetabled alongside all other senior phase subjects, although more than 60 percent of provision is delivered through colleges and other providers. Officials link this partnership approach, alongside improvements in their mentoring model and the use of a one-year delivery model, to the council's ability to massively increase uptake of Foundation Apprenticeship opportunities for students. In 2018/19, fewer than 30 young people across 17 Aberdeenshire secondary schools chose to begin a Foundation Apprenticeship; for the current academic year, the number was 800, but this number was limited by available funding. The council says that there was sufficient demand for 1000 new programmes this year had the money been available. One of the ways in which schools measure pupil attainment is through something called Insight data, which awards points for the different qualifications achieved by pupils. Across the whole local authority, pupils who gain at least one Foundation Apprenticeship attract an average of 70 percent more points, which is far too large an increase to be accounted for by the new qualifications alone. Officials believe the figure reflects a positive impact on wider attainment rates and link this to observed improvements in pupils' levels of engagement. When surveyed, 19 percent of Level 6 Foundation Apprentices said that it programme had helped improve their attendance, while for those working at levels 4 and 5 the figure was almost twice as high at 35 percent. A majority at both levels reported having felt more engaged in their overall learning. Foundation Apprentices were more likely to go on to higher education, and the numbers going into Modern Apprenticeships after school was nearly four times higher than for those who had not participated in the programme.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GB Energy board set to meet for first time in Scotland
THE board of GB Energy is scheduled to meet for the first time in Scotland on Monday to discuss "scaling up and kickstarting investments". Energy minister Michael Shanks will convene the meeting of the start-up board in Aberdeen alongside chairman Juergen Maier and interim chief executive Dan McGrail to discuss next steps for the organisation. It is expected the discussions will involve building up an investment portfolio which members hope will return a profit for taxpayers. The meeting comes after the UK Government admitted GB Energy doesn't formally have any employees, as well as uncertainty and doubts over how many jobs GB Energy will actually bring to Scotland – or the rest of the UK. READ MORE: The islands and people putting the brakes on the rural exodus of Scottish youth For example, Maier admitted last month that Keir Starmer's General Election pledge to create 1000 new energy jobs in Scotland though GB Energy could take as long as '20 years'. GB Energy says it has already started engaging with the market on potential collaborations to ensure it can deliver benefits for the public once it is fully established, backed by £8.3 billion over the course of the current Parliament. Shanks said: 'We now have a fantastic team in place to lead Great British Energy and establish the company in Aberdeen. 'By unlocking homegrown clean power projects, Great British Energy will support thousands of well-paid jobs in Scotland and across the country, and deliver energy security for the British people. 'Today's meeting of the new board members marks another step forward for the company as it gears up to make its first investments.' Maier said: 'We are working on a plan to invest in and deliver homegrown clean power, supporting the next generation of energy jobs. 'We are already engaging with industry on exciting investment opportunities so we can hit the ground running once Great British Energy is fully established. 'Together we will back British innovation and support the creation of thousands of jobs in clean energy projects and their supply chains in the North East of Scotland alone.' McGrail said: 'Great British Energy is perfectly placed to take advantage of the clean energy revolution for the benefit of the British people. 'As I take up post as interim CEO today, I'm pleased to bring our new board members together in Aberdeen to discuss our plans to invest in secure, homegrown clean power – unleashing jobs and crowding in private investment.' Maier is also expected to convene a skills roundtable on Tuesday to work with industry to help oil and gas workers in north-east Scotland access clean energy jobs. It is scheduled to be attended by organisations including Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Green Free Ports Cromarty and Leith, ETZ Ltd, and Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Great British Energy board to meet for first time in Scotland
The board of a publicly-owned clean energy company set up by the UK Labour Government is scheduled to meet for the first time in Scotland on Monday to discuss scaling up and kickstarting investments. Energy minister Michael Shanks will convene the meeting of the Great British Energy start-up board in Aberdeen alongside chairman Juergen Maier and interim chief executive Dan McGrail to discuss next steps for the organisation. It is expected the discussions will involve building up an investment portfolio which members hope will return a profit for taxpayers. Great British Energy has already started engaging with the market on potential collaborations to ensure it can deliver benefits for the public once it is fully established, backed by £8.3 billion over the course of the current Parliament. Mr Shanks said: 'We now have a fantastic team in place to lead Great British Energy and establish the company in Aberdeen. 'By unlocking homegrown clean power projects, Great British Energy will support thousands of well-paid jobs in Scotland and across the country, and deliver energy security for the British people. 'Today's meeting of the new board members marks another step forward for the company as it gears up to make its first investments.' Mr Maier said: 'We are working on a plan to invest in and deliver homegrown clean power, supporting the next generation of energy jobs. 'We are already engaging with industry on exciting investment opportunities so we can hit the ground running once Great British Energy is fully established. 'Together we will back British innovation and support the creation of thousands of jobs in clean energy projects and their supply chains in the North East of Scotland alone.' Mr McGrail said: 'Great British Energy is perfectly placed to take advantage of the clean energy revolution for the benefit of the British people. 'As I take up post as interim CEO today, I'm pleased to bring our new board members together in Aberdeen to discuss our plans to invest in secure, homegrown clean power – unleashing jobs and crowding in private investment.' Mr Maier is also expected to convene a skills roundtable on Tuesday to work with industry to help oil and gas workers in north-east Scotland access clean energy jobs. It is scheduled to be attended by organisations including Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Green Free Ports Cromarty and Leith, ETZ Ltd, and Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce.
