Edinburgh College jobs fair

30 April 2014
What: Edinburgh College jobs fair
Where: Granton Campus, Edinburgh College
When: Wednesday 30 April, 3pm - 6pm
Who: Students of Edinburgh College
Why: Careers advice on hand to students, employers also in attendance actively looking to recruit part-time and potential full-time jobs.

Find out more about becoming an Apprentice Electrician!

If you are considering an apprenticeship, get your inspiration with this Apprenticeships in Scotland Engineering Sector Case Study video. Starring three female apprentices from RB Grant Electrical Contractors, the video features their experiences of their everyday working life and how they found their apprenticeship.

To find out more about opportunities in Scotland, visit our website www.apprenticeshipsinscotland.com 

 

Scottish Gas supports Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2014

Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2014 will take place from 19th to 23rd May 2014 and Scottish Gas will be holding an Open day at our Training Academy in Hamilton on Wednesday 21st May in support of the week’s activities.

The Open Day is designed to give you more information on the skills that our Apprentices acquire whilst working for Scottish Gas, an understanding of the entry criteria, an insight into our assessment process and information how to apply when vacancies are open. This is an opportunity to meet with our Apprentices, Trainers and Recruitment Team and ask them any questions that you may have about our Apprenticeships.

Places are limited and by invite only, so if you are interested and would like to spend a couple of hours with us, please email us with the following details:

Name, Email address, Contact number and how you heard about the event to: Diversity.Team@britishgas.co.uk and quote SAW OPEN DAY in the subject of the e-mail and you will be contacted with further details.

Please note there is no maximum age for any of our Apprenticeships.

The closing date for registering your interest is Sunday 4th May 2014.  We will then confirm by 9th May if you have been allocated a place.

The Academy address is:
Scottish Gas Training Academy,
Unit E,
Summit Point,
Watt Place,
Hamilton International Technology Park,
Hamilton,
Glasgow
G72 0AH

Leaving school this summer?

It is a scary thought leaving school without a plan, so open up your options and become more knowledgeable about what is right for you.

Shannen from the Apprenticeships in Scotland team talks about her plan after school “I always thought further education was the route for me, I didn’t know I could go straight into work from school and get a qualification at the same time!” 

Apprenticeships are an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace. 

A Modern Apprenticeship is a structured program of training and experiences that should result in nationally recognised qualifications or SVQ's (Scottish Vocational Qualifications).

To get started, why not speak to your school careers adviser. My World of Work has some great advice on taking the first steps after school, click here to find out more.

Ready to work on your CV? Click here to find out tips on where to start. 

To find out more about higher education please visit UCAS

5 tips to make your cover letter stand out!

Is your cover letter looking a bit tired? Why not try some of these top tips to help improve it!

Your cover letter is your opportunity to shine and impress the employer. Use this checklist created by Skills Development Scotland to clear out your cover letter and avoid the kinds of errors employers hate.

1. Spelling and punctuation errors – There’s no room for either. If you can, ask a friend to check it over and do a final spell check before you send it off

2. Outrageous lies – Nowadays it's easy for employers and recruiters to check candidates' claims online. If you lie, they'll find out

3. Negativity and sarcasm – Don’t criticise former employers and certainly not the company you’re applying to. Be positive about yourself, your previous experience and the role

4. Inappropriate personal details – You don't need to state your age, religion, sexual preference or political affiliations on a cover letter or CV. Neither should you include a photo of yourself or your National Insurance number

5. Confused language and unnecessary waffle – Keep things clear with short, snappy sentences that tell the reader what they need to know

Next steps? Click here to view Skills Development Scotland’s Cover letter guide and Clever cover letters to help you create a knock out first impression!

Build a CV that's just as sparkling using their CV builder - My CV.

School's Out For Summer!

Advice for young people leaving school, Further or Higher Education is available via Skills Development Scotland's skills and training web service My World of Work.

It includes top CV advice, a range of other tips and even information on the etiquette of shaking hands.

There is also help for parents who want know the best next step for their child.

With many young people in Scotland recently graduating and thousands of pupils finishing their final year at secondary school, My World of Work has advice tailored for everyone's needs.

The Graduate Portal has an array of articles, videos and audio clips to help young people make a positive step on their career journey. While school pupils, whether leaving education or staying for another year, will benefit from the refreshed Exam Results Helpline portal ahead of receiving their results on 6 August. 

For more information and and to read more click here

Career Inspirations at The Royal Highland Show with Lantra

Lantra Scotland has highlighted, at this year’s Royal Highland Show (RHS), why it is fun and rewarding for young people to seek out a career in the land-based food and drink industries.

Hosting a workshop at the RHS today, Lantra Scotland demonstrated, to the dozens of school children who attended, why Scotland’s countryside and employers need an enthusiastic and skilled workforce coming through the education system and why young people who are hungry for a job in the land-based sector can really benefit.

The workshop, whose speakers included George Taylor, farmer and MD of Taypack, Modern Apprentice Finlay Ross, Barry Graham, Head Teacher of Wallace Hall Academy and Moira Stalker from the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, highlighted the versatility, variety and interest that awaits those keen to pursue a career in the land-based and food and drink sectors. 

Lantra invited one of the Apprenticeships in Scotland enterprise apprentices along to their workshop, Shannen Scott, Youth Opportunities Apprentice said “The day was very inspirational and it was fantastic to hear some of the journey’s the speakers have went through to get where they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed Finlay’s contribution about his Modern Apprenticeship in Agriculture”

READ MORE

Career in Professional Gardening

Want to be a professional gardener? Then you will need plenty of passion, practical experience and a formal qualification, writes Rachel Anderson.

Gardening apprenticeship: combines practical experience along with part-time study

A career in professional gardening can lead you to work in some of the finest gardens, both in Britain and across the globe.

RHS Garden Wisley horticultural courses manager Tim Hughes is a prime example of this. "I have been working in horticulture for 33 years and have been lucky to have worked in some amazing locations," he says.

"I have the ability to work all over the world and I love the diversity in the range of opportunities that the industry has to offer for me - and I have met the nicest people in the horticulture industry."

The job clearly has its glamorous side - gardeners can work in botanic gardens, heritage gardens or major private estates - and there are jobs available for those entering the profession for the first time thanks to the increasing popularity of garden tourism and many gardeners reaching retirement age.

There is, however, a far less glamorous side to the job that only those with a passion for plants can willingly endure. It is, of course, the weather, and in particular the harsh winter conditions that gardeners must brave when carrying out their day-to-day tasks - planting, pruning, weeding, mowing and mulching - so that gardens can look their best when spring arrives.

Neil Miller, head gardener of the award-winning Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent, says: "In our business you are going to love it or hate it. It's not everyone's cup of tea, so you have to have a passion for it.

"If you do have green fingers and soil in your blood, I cannot think of a better vocation. There are no negative people working here because they want to be here."

Many gardeners advise getting some work experience first if you are thinking of entering the industry. This way, you can find out whether or not you have the prerequisite passion, while at the same time gaining some of the essential, practical skills that employers are looking for in a job candidate.

Leigh Morris, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) head of education and Institute of Horticulture (IoH) chairman, says: "My top tip would be to get experience. Two years in college does not necessarily make people employable. You need to get experience any way you can - even by volunteering." READ MORE