Apprenticeships in Scotland

Meeting the Minister for Youth Employment

2012-02-22T09:54:00.001-08:00

Today was animportant day for us at 'Apprenticeships in Scotland.com'. AngelaConstance (The Minister for Youth Employment in Scotland) met with us todiscuss what we have been doing so far in our journey and what we are planningto do in the future.

We are reallykeen to work with the Scottish Government and other partners tomake it easier for employers to set up apprenticeship schemes. We are devoted to making sure that Modern Apprenticeships are easy to find and accessibleto any young person.

The Ministerhas been meeting lots of employers and young people throughout Scotland sinceher appointment as Minister for Youth Employment in December. She has beendoing this to find better, more innovative ways to get more young people intothe world of work. This is her primary focus.

Click here to find out more information in the Youth Employment strategy.

Enterprise Apprenticeship in Business Development

2012-02-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

Apprenticeships in Scotland.com is a free web-based service which brings together employers and young people. It has fast become Scotland’s national vacancy handling service for youth opportunities. What makes Apprenticeships in Scotland truly unique is that it is a social enterprise run by young people.

This is an opportunity to join our journey as we are now recruiting for an Apprentice in Business Development. Whilst learning on the job and taking on new responsibilities every week you will also follow a tailored SVQ in Business. This is an exciting opportunity.

For more information click here.

IT Apprenticeship Awards

2012-02-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

We were at Microsoft's office in Edinburgh yesterday and I must say it was pretty snazzy. We were there to support the graduation and awards ceremony for the QA/Microsoft IT Modern Apprenticeship Programme. The awards ceremony was for the young people who are currently graduating from their apprenticeship.

We were there to photograph and film a short video which we are going to be producing in the next couple of weeks. The day kicked off with a speech from Jonathan Warner, Apprenticeship Manager for Scotland. He then handed over to Derrick McCourt the Regional Director, Microsoft Scotland. Ben Pike, the Director for the QA Apprenticeships then announced how they are hoping to continuously grow and expand the number of apprentices which they recruit and train. Congratulations to all who graduated this week!

McDonald's Opportunities

2012-01-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

FAST food giant McDonald's will create more than 190 jobs across Scotland this year, it announced today.

The burger chain expects more than a half of the new posts to go to young people and around 30% to first-time workers.

The jobs at existing restaurants in Scotland are among 2,500 being created across the UK this year.

Click here for the full story.

Asda to recruit 5,000 extra staff

2012-01-24T02:01:00.000-08:00

Supermarket giant Asda is planning to add an extra 5,000 jobs to its workforce in 2012 as it embarks on a £500million expansion programme.

The firm said nearly half of the jobs it created last year had gone to young people, who are currently battling high unemployment, while 8,500 jobs went to people who had signed up through Job Centre Plus.

Read more

QA IT Modern Apprenticeships (Spring Intake)

2012-01-18T02:49:00.000-08:00

QA have launched their campaign to recruit Modern Apprentices in Scotland for their spring intake. It's the second year running that we are please to be supporting QA, working in partnership with Microsoft to deliver the IT Modern Apprenticeship in Hardware & Networking throughout Scotland.

It gives young people, who are accepted onto the Modern Apprentice programme, the opportunity to gain the qualifications listed below:

• Microsoft Certification Technical Specialist (MCTS)
• CompTIA A+
• City & Guild Diploma and Certificate
• Essential Skills for Apprentices
• SVQ Level 3 certificate

Not just qualifications, you also get key workplace training and skills from an employer, along with a wage of up to £120 per week.

The entry requirements for this opportunity are as follows:

• at least 5 standard grades at level 3 and above - Maths and English is a must
• a passion to learn about IT
• good communication skills
• enthusiasm, professional attitude and the willingness to learn

To find out more information click here

Apprenticeships in Scotland Case Study by Young Scot

2011-12-15T02:28:00.000-08:00

Young Scot were keen to get a case study on what Daniel and I are doing at Apprenticeships in Scotland.

We were really excited about this opportunity to be on the BIG SCREEN! well not really the big screen but close enough...

They came to Glasgow at the Skills Scotland event to do some filming and get our views on apprenticeships and also to our new office where they captured some footage of Daniel & I working, speaking about our story and how other young people can get into an apprenticeship.

We feel this will really benefit us by showing people who we are and what we do but we also think that it will engage with young people and help them to make the correct decisions.

Thank You, Shaun & Daniel.

P.s. Can you spot the spelling mistake on the video? This was part of other 'attention to detail' activity at Skills Scotland. (Our hips are fine!)

YouTrain Apprenticeships

2011-12-02T02:36:00.001-08:00

We are really pleased to be working with YouTrain, one of Scotland’s leading training providers. There are some fantastic opportunities for young people available through YouTrain right now including:

Business & Administration Apprenticeships

They have multiple opportunties throughout Scotland for Business Administration Modern Apprentices, the areas consist of Stirling, Falkirk, Dundee, Cumbernauld, Aberdeen, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy & Perth.

To see more about this opportunity click here.

IT Professional Apprenticeships

This opportunity is provided by a business called ScreenTown and it gives you professional Technical IT Skills and also valuable skills in digital design.

To see more about this opportunity click here.

These are only some of the opportunities which YouTrain offer, to see the a list of the opportunities which they offer click here.

Skills Scotland Events

2011-11-28T01:49:00.001-08:00

We have been to all 3 Skills Scotland Events. We were at Edinburgh Corn Exchange on the 8th November, Glasgow SECC on the 16th/17th November and Aberdeen AECC on the 22nd November.

These careers and skills events have been helpful in many ways.

We benefited greatly by speaking to 1000's of young people from all over the country and hearing how they are planning to develop a career whether it be the academic route (University) or the vocational route (Apprenticeships/Training).

We also had the chance to speak to employers and understand the problems they face when trying to recruit high quality and reliable young people.

We highly recommend these events to anyone involved in careers, skills and training. We also would urge any schools, colleges or any indivdual looking for an apprenticeship or training to sign up and visit these exceptional events.

For more information about Skills Scotland click here

Skills Scotland Events

2011-10-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Skills Scotland Events

Skills Scotland events are highly inspirational, free careers and skills festivals for 14-19 year olds that thrill and motivate. Established as the biggest interactive series of events in Scotland which for the first time will be in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow featuring over 40 exhibitors and thousands of visitors.

The event dates are as follows:

Skills Scotland - Edinburgh Corn Exchange on the 8th November 2011

If you would like to find more details about the Edinburgh event then click here. To book a free place at this event click here.

Skills Scotland - Glasgow SECC on the 16th & 17th November 2011

If you would like to find more details about the Glasgow event then click here. To book a free place at this event click here.

Skills Scotland - Aberdeen AECC on the 22nd November 2011
If you would like to find more details about the Aberdeen event then click here. To book a free place at this event click here.

re:think - The Financial Services Skills Gateway

2011-10-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Financial Services Skills Gateway has launched re:think, a new website that is the place to go to find out about working in the financial services industry in Scotland.

Providing information on the range of opportunities available to those with different levels of qualifications and experience, from school leavers and young graduates to those with a bit more work experience.

re:think will help financial services employers attract talented people. It will also help young people identify and develop the skills needed for a career in the industry.

The site forms an important part of the Financial Services Skills Gateway's wider programme of activity to take Scotland's financial services talent to world class levels by directly matching skills provision to the needs and priorities of Scotland's financial services sector.

Click here to visit this great site!

Hitting the right mark

2011-10-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

Apprenticeships in Scotland.com is continually hitting the right mark. We now achieve 15,000 unique visits per month and a steady increase in subscribers per month which is now over 3,000. Apprenticeships in Scotland.com is the most effective way to communicate with the youth labour market in Scotland. We provide a proactive service, targeting schools and college leavers in specific geographical areas with our trusted digital distribution. We also provide national recruitment campaign support and network partnerships in education and Careers.

QA IT Modern Apprenticeships (Microsoft)

2011-10-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

Unique opportunity to undertake an IT Modern Apprenticeship with leading companies based in Scotland.

This is a 9-10 month IT Apprenticeship programme involving:

hands on technical experience in the work place
extensive training provided at QA’s leading academy
full exposure and training in ICT systems: software and hardware installations, configuration and upgrades

You will study towards industry recognised qualifications as well as gaining valuable work experience and SVQ level 3 qualification whilst earning up to £120 per week.

There are opportunities in Glasgow, Edinburgh and across the central belt.

If you are seeking further information on this opportunity click here

Scottish Parliament Event - 6th October

2011-10-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

On the 6th of October at the Scottish Parliament we were sponsoring the ICG event for the new graduates entering the Careers Guidance Profession.

Organisations who also contributed to sponsoring the event were Skills Development Scotland, ICG Scotland, NAEGA, UWS and Edinburgh Napier University.

We had to stand and speak infront of 150 people including the Minister for Learning & Skills in Scotland, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP. We also presented a short video about what we do.

Apprenticeships in Scotland

Scottish Aprenticeships Week Competition Winners

2011-10-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everybody who participated in our Scottish Apprenticeships Week Competition which ran from 5th - 9th September 2011.

The winners of the Scottish Apprenticeships Week competition have now been announced.

Congratulations to Samantha Taylor and Michael Gilroy who won the competition and will both now receive up to £125 worth of interview clothes and a personal shopper experience at TopShop in Glasgow.

Dress to Impress Competition

2011-09-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating Scottish Apprenticeships Week by giving you the chance of a unique Personal Shopper experience and £125 to spend at TOPSHOP to get the perfect look for you next job interview.

The first impression you give to an employer at interview comes from your appearance and body language and we want to help you make the perfect start. With a TOPSHOP Personal Shopper you get the attention you deserve to find the perfect style and fit to make sure you make the right first impression.

So this is the chance for one male and one female aged 16-24 to get fully kitted out in interview gear worth up to £125 by a Personal Shopper at TOPSHOP in Glasgow.

This Competition is now closed!

Scottish Apprenticeships Week

2011-09-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

It is Scotland's first ever apprenticeship week 5th - 9th September. It is designed to raise awareness amongst employers to take on young people primarily aged between 16-24 as Modern Apprentices.

Skills Development Scotland are the organisation behind the Scottish Apprenticeship Week. There are numerous companies, organisations and councils which are backing this campaign. And ofcourse so are we!

If you are an employer looking to take on an apprentice and want advice on how to get funding for the SVQ qualification then call 0800 783 6000 or If you want help to actually recruit the right apprentice then call apprenticeshipsinscotland.com on 01334 844900 or alternatively click employers

For more information regarding the Scottish Apprenticeship Week Click Here

30 Redundant Apprentices Rescued by Firm

2011-08-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

Glasgow City Council's arm's-length construction firm has come to the rescue of 30 unemployed apprentices over the past 24 months after their original employers made them redundant.

To Read More Click Here

Scottish Power Job Plans

2011-08-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

The company said that it will invest £3 billion and will create around 1500 new jobs, including substantial recruitment of apprentices and retraining of under25s into highly skilled jobs in over the next decade. Four out of five energy industry employees are set to retire over the next 15 years* and ScottishPower is committed to a major recruitment drive to encourage a new generation of workers in to the industry as well as supporting its contractors and companies in the wider supply chain to do likewise.

To Read More, Click Here

Edinburgh City puts £170k to work in youth jobs initiative

2011-08-17T01:39:00.001-07:00

A £750,000 drive to cut the number of school leavers in Edinburgh who end up on the dole is to be launched by city chiefs with the backing of companies including Royal Bank of Scotland and Microsoft.
The council is to link up with major Edinburgh employers to try to reduce the numbers of so-called NEETS (not in employment, education or training).

Read more

Olympic Apprenticeships

2011-08-02T02:47:00.000-07:00

This week marked one year to go to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. One small business in Fife, which is contracted to deliver a UK wide education programme connected to the Games has announced plans to provide two further apprenticeships as part of the scheme.

The Career Studio, which is based in Cupar will deliver the Inspire-Aspire programme to around 75,000 young people in Schools up and down the country with the support of education partners and some well-known athletes from the past and the present.

Daniel Harkness (19) and Shaun Moore (17) pictured below are already undertaking their Apprenticeship at The Career Studio which includes developing skills in IT, communications and event management. Two more apprenticeships are now being advertised to start in September.

Talking about his experience so far, Shaun said “the last few months have been amazing. We ran a really big event at Stirling University in June and then at the headquarters of London 2012 at Canary Wharf in London a few weeks ago. The views from the top floor were spectacular and I could see the whole Olympic Park. The apprenticeship is hard work but I am really enjoying meeting new people and pushing myself to learn new skills while making a contribution to the Olympics in a small way”. Daniel said that “anyone who wants to get into a great apprenticeship with lots to do and get responsibility quickly will love this. The Inspire-Aspire programme definitely has a big impact and I have seen this first hand already”.

Ronnie Davidson is the programme co-ordinator and said of the opportunities, “these apprenticeships are the only ones of their kind anywhere in Scotland and they give young people the chance to get directly involved in something really exciting from day one. In just one year, the apprenticeships will provide hands on experience of communications, PR, event management and a level 3 Scottish Vocational Qualification in Business Administration which is a great gateway to starting out on a successful career”.

To find out more you can visit www.apprenticeshipsinscotland.com/inspired or call The Career Studio on 01334 844900.

Young Scot's New Website Launch

2011-07-12T01:43:00.000-07:00

Young Scot have just released a new website which has information regarding what events are available for young people in Scotland, what offers and discounts can be gained with a young scot card, how to get your card and their magazine.

There is also lots of other great opportunities and sources of information.

VISIT http://www.youngscot.org/

First Class Experience

2011-07-07T02:16:00.000-07:00

Shaun and I are travelling to London to help out with the Inspire>Aspire project: www.inspire-aspire.org.uk

We will be looking forward to filming and experienceing London!

New Equine Modern Apprenticeship Frameworks Available

2011-06-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

Scotland’s learners and employers working with horses can now have access to take level 2 and revised level 3 Equine Modern Apprenticeship frameworks that have been approved by the Modern Apprenticeship Group and launched by Lantra Sector Skills Council.

Click Here to Read More.

QA also recruiting in Dundee now!

2011-06-20T02:58:00.001-07:00

QA, one of Scotland’s leading training providers, have announced that they will be recruiting for the Microsoft Partner Apprenticeship Programme in Dundee this summer. This is a unique opportunity to undertake an IT Modern Apprenticeship with QA and a Microsoft Partner. The training provided by QA is fully funded by the government for 16-19 year olds and is a fantastic opportunity for young people to build a career in IT.

Click here to read all about it.

Apprenticeship Opportunity in Aberdeen

2011-06-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

YOUNG people who want to pursue a career in childcare are invited to attend a recruitment evening in Aberdeen next week to find out more.

The Children’s House, a north-east training organisation based in Aberdeen’s Queen’s Road, has modern apprenticeship vacancies for young people aged between 16 and 19 with a good education

Click Here to Read More.

Employer Recruitment Media Pack

2011-06-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Daniel (one of the modern apprentices working on the apprenticeships in scotland website) has now created an amazing PDF. The PDF is a media pack which consists of our products and services available to employers. This media pack shows employers the best way which they can recruit apprentices and different methods they can use to connect with young people from almost every secondary school, college and careers centre in Scotland. Employers will also get the opportunity to have access to our 2500+ subscribers who get weekly updates (via email) of our apprenticeship vacancies on our site.

CLICK HERE for the media pack.

Co-operative Apprenticeships

2011-06-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

Over the next three years, the Co-Operative will create 2,000 jobs through a new apprentice academy.

With its operations spanning supermarkets, high street travel agents and financial services, it also own 55,000 acres of farmland that it uses to grow food for its shops. Apprentices will be spread across all three divisions.

David Watson is the Arable Operations Manager for Co-operative Farms and tells Radio 5 live Wake Up To Money's Dominic Laurie how the farm apprenticeships will work.

Click HERE to watch the video

Skills Development Scotland: My World of Work

2011-06-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is a great platform for young people seeking employment and training throughout Scotland.

Keeping the customer at the heart of what they do, Skills Development Scotland continue to develop their online web service My World of Work (My WoW). My WoW builds on valued face to face and contact centre services; connecting the way that people live, learn and work and assisting them in making the best possible career decisions.

Read More

Exciting Apprenticeship News !

2011-06-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Some positive signs already with plans for 25,000 apprenticeships to be created over the coming year following the governments manifesto commitments.

Businesses have signed up to employ more than 7,000 modern apprentices in the coming year, it was announced today.

The bookings taken by Skills Development Scotland will allow more than 7,000 young people and adults to start an apprenticeship this month.

Read More

Microsoft IT Modern Apprenticeships with QA

2011-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

We have recently activated a great opportunity for young hopefuls looking to pursue a career within the IT industry. As the UK’s leading IT Training provider, QA has been working alongside Microsoft to develop a Microsoft IT Modern Apprenticeship programme. The qualifications which you will gain on completion are a Microsoft Certification Technical Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), CompTIA A+ & N+, City & Guild Diploma & Certificate and Business & IT Sales Certificate.

In order to apply you will have to have these entry requirements:

You must have at least 5 Standard Grades (3 and above) - Maths and English is a must. A passion to learn about IT and Good communication skills. Enthusiasm, professional attitude and the willingness to learn.

Click Here to View Job

Apprenticeships discussion on BBC Radio Scotland

2011-05-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Debate and coverage of Apprenticeships in Scotland takes to the airwaves with a feature planned on BBC Radio Scotland with Fred MacAulay on Tuesday May 17th 2011. Fred’s programme starts 10.30am. Both myself and Daniel have been asked to take part in the programme and we are going to the BBC studios in Dundee. So if you want to hear what we sound like as well as finding out what people (and Fred) are saying about Apprenticeships you should tune in.

Visit Fred MacAulay's page on the BBC Radio Scotland Website here.
Listen live from 10.30am here.

Meeting Miss UK

2011-05-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were lucky to meet Katharine Brown (formerly Miss Scotland and currently Miss UK). She came to The Career Studio to get involved with the Inspire>Aspire Values Poster Awards Programme and will meet many of the young people who have taken part at the Inspire>Aspire Awards at the University of Stirling on 22nd June. We were really pleased to tell her about Apprenticeships in Scotland.com. Katharine is a Sports Ambassador for Scotland and she told us about the exciting developments with her new venture based on Street Sports which will launch later in the year.

For more information on the Inspire>Aspire Programme visit the website http://www.inspire-aspire.org.uk

Funding boost for apprenticeships in the food and drink industry

2011-05-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

Scotland’s food and drink industry has received a major boost after the Scottish Government agreed to invest more than £2 million to fund Modern Apprenticeships in the sector over the next year. The cash will cover the training costs of 972 apprentice places, a two-thirds increase on the number of places funded in the food and drink industry last year. Employers are now being urged to step forward to take advantage of the funding, which is available to train apprentices of any age.
Read More

Modernising Apprenticeships in Scotland

2011-05-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

Exciting times ahead for Apprenticeships in Scotland. The new Scottish Government will build on the current modern apprenticeship scheme and create new Graduate Apprenticeships.The university-level apprenticeships will enable new links between business, students and our Universities, allowing students to work and earn as they study and improve work based skills alongside flexible higher level study. They will also adopt a similar approach for a wider range of College courses, with Technical Apprenticeships at HNC and HND level, focused on more of the technical skills our economy will need in the years ahead. They will also ensure that science, technology, engineering and mathematics are promoted by means of skills training and that an “internship culture” is developed to ensure better links between enterprise and further and higher education.

See page 12 of the SNP Manifesto - http://www.snp.org/

Apprenticeships in Scotland Launch (Ben Nevis)

2011-05-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Apprenticeships in Scotland is a dedicated job site that connects young people and employers together. Uniquely, the service is being managed and developed by two level 3 modern apprentices left (Shaun Moore) and right (Daniel Harkness). This is our first blog post from the top of Ben Nevis! We will be looking to innovate the market and find new ways to improve apprenticeship recruitment and retension. We will update the site and our services in many ways over the coming year by listening to employers and young people, for example we will be looking to bring new products and services, a new layout and more integrated features within the site. We look forward to working with you. Get in Touch