Bright Purple Lands Top Apprenticeship Award

IT and Financial Services Recruitment specialists Bright Purple Resourcing has been recognised for its commitment in helping develop young talent, winning top honours at this year’s Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards. The firm won the Small Business category, winning plaudits for its ‘significant contribution/commitment to the Modern Apprenticeship programme’.

The award followed the firm’s launch in January of its inaugural Bright Futures Programme, an initiative designed to give six long-term unemployed apprentices hands-on work experience and personal development to build self-esteem and release their full potential. READ MORE

Pru Launches Apprentice Scheme

Prudential has launched an apprenticeship scheme with 50 places for young people in vocational training roles.

Recruitment for the scheme will run between November and December and offers young people places in London, Reading and Stirling. Once selected, apprentices will take up their place on the 12 to 18-month course in early 2013. READ MORE

Modern Apprenticeship with Scottish Prison Service

An opportunity has arisen for a Business Administration Support role within the Scottish Prison Service’s well-established Procurement Policy and Services Department (PPSD). The intention is that the role holder would participate in a SVQ Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship whilst also undertaking study for the entry level Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) qualification. The post is based at SPS Headquarters in Edinburgh.  The role will be offered as two year fixed term appointment with a view to permanency.

This role is a very good opportunity for a suitable candidate to attain excellent administrative experience, whilst gaining a general understanding of the nature and operation of the procurement function within a large Government agency with a key role to play in Scottish life.  The main day-today focus will be to provide Administrative support and assistance to the PPSD team but the candidate will also be offered the opportunity to develop key procurement skills.

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Further information on the Scottish Prison Service can be found at www.sps.gov.uk

'Young people' drive fall in unemployment

BBC Video explains how young people are driving the recent fall in unemployment! READ MORE

Parents Perspective – An Apprenticeship over University?

Like most teenagers, our son Connor was not sure what career path he wanted to take. Wanting to find out more about his options, Connor attended a school careers event when he was 13. Connor enjoyed cooking - partly inspired by a plethora of chefs on TV - and was thrilled to learn at the event that he could start a Young Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery.

At the time some of Connor’s classmates and even some of our friends were surprised by his decision to take up the offer. We think what surprised some people the most was that we supported him 100%. We simply trusted Connor’s judgment – but of course we carried out the due diligence. HTP Training, the organisation carrying out the apprenticeship training, met with us on several occasions to brief us on what Connor’s two year programme would include.

In September 2010, Connor began his apprenticeship with HTP at the prestigious Royal Hotel on the Isle of Wight under Head Chef Alan Staley’s excellent tutelage. Connor, being very hands on really enjoyed the apprenticeship. Two years into it, Connor was keen to find out how a Michelin star kitchen worked and wrote to chef Tom Kerridge. Kerridge invited Connor to ‘The Hand & Flowers’, a two star Michelin gastro pub in Marlow and later offered to take on Connor as his apprentice.

Fast forward to the present day and Connor, who is 16, is preparing to leave home in the next few weeks to start his new position and kick off Level 3 of the apprenticeship. Of course we are going to miss him immensely but we can’t help but feel enormously proud of him. We only need to look at some of his friends and their parents who are today anxious about university debt and future job prospects and be thankful that Connor chose an apprenticeship and didn’t blindly follow convention. READ MORE