New National Society of Apprentices Scotland Launch!

The Apprentice Conversation Scotland 

More than just a blether

On Sunday 23 March 2014, the brand new National Society of Apprentices Scotland will be launched at NUS Scotland Conference in Dundee. The National Society of Apprentices Scotland exists to represent apprentices in Scotland.

Apprentices from across Scotland are invited for the launch of the National Society of Apprentices Scotland.

The event will provide an opportunity for apprentices in Scotland to meet other apprentices, talk about their experiences of being an apprentice and to shape the work of the National Society of Apprentices in Scotland.

The interim leadership of the National Society of Apprentices in Scotland will also be chosen at the launch and apprentices in Scotland have the chance to volunteer to be part of the team that shapes the organisation.

Find out more about what to expect on the day here.

So if you are an apprentice in Scotland then come along to the launch of the National Society of Apprentices Scotland.

Where will it take place?

The launch of the National Society of Apprentices will take place at the Apex City Quay Hotel, Dundee from 12-4 on Sunday 23 March 2014. Lunch will be provided for those attending.

How to register?

For more information, or to register to attend please contact Ben Kinross, Apprentices Engagement Officer on ben.kinross@nus.org.uk

For our email disclaimer, please visit http://www.nus.org.uk/nus-email-disclaimer

Education to Employment Conference 2013 - LAST CHANCE

Education to Employment Conference 2013

November 26th, 09:00 - 15:45

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre

Last chance to book your place at Skills Development Scotland's Education to Employment conference!

"Scotland needs and has the potential to secure a highly educated, skilled and well motivated young workforce able to compete with any in Europe and ensure Scottish business and industry grows in stature at home and abroad."

Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, Interim Report

Objectives
The recent publication of the Wood Commission’s Interim Report sets the backdrop for this event. The agenda for the day will provide opportunities for attendees to:

• Explore the global challenges being faced by those leading and managing the transition from education to employment
• Engage in constructive discussion around what currently works in Scotland and why it works - from the perspective of education providers, employers and young people
• Gain a deeper understanding of the interim findings of the Wood Commission

Audience
The conference has been specifically designed for those concerned with the policy and practices surrounding education to employment for young people including:

• Those involved in the provision of education for young people
• Those involved in the employment of young people
• Third sector organisations working with young people at the transition point between formal education and the workforce

Programme
The conference has been structured around a number of short presentations and expert panel inputs designed to develop a better understanding of the challenges and stimulate lively group discussions.

The day will have three component parts:

• Part 1: The global challenges
• Part 2: Emerging Scottish solutions
• Part 3: Looking Ahead - The Wood Commission Interim Report

To attend this fantastic conference and have your say, please click here.

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

Employer wage incentive available from your local Job Centre

Employers who take on young people may be eligible for wage incentives of up to £2,275 each.

Wage incentives are available for employers who recruit an 18-24 year old who has been receiving benefits for at least six months through Jobcentre Plus.

Wage incentives are also available through Work Programme and Work Choice providers.
> Wage incentives available through the Work Programme
> Wage incentives available through Work Choice

How does the wage incentive scheme work?

The wage incentive is available if you employ someone for 16 hours or more each week in a job lasting more than 26 weeks. There are two rates:

• for part-time work between 16 and 29 hours a week - £1,137.50
• for full-time work of 30 hours or more a week - £2,275

This will be paid 26 weeks after the employee starts work. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees can claim a part payment eight weeks after the employee starts work.

Who can claim a wage incentive?

Wage incentives are primarily available to private, voluntary and community sectors and social enterprise employers. Central government departments, their executive agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) will be excluded from claiming them, however the wider public sector such as NHS trusts, will not.

I'm interested in employing a young person using the wage incentive, what do I do next?

Contact Jobcentre Plus or one of your local Work Programme providers, they will give you further information, advice on the eligibility conditions and support to identify the right person.

Employing a young person using a wage incentive through the Work Programme
> Local Work Programme providers' contact details

Employing a young person using a wage incentive through Jobcentre Plus

• Phone: 0845 601 2001 (option 2)
• Text phone: 0845 601 2002 (for people with speech or hearing impairments)

Real life stories

FAQs

Factsheet

Terms and Conditions

Scheme Details

If you are an employer in the Glasgow area, contact Rhonda Rafique on 0141 636 8396 or rhonda.fafique@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Inspiring Youth Enterprise Grant Winners Announced Today!

RBS Inspiring Enterprise has today announced the winners of the latest round of Youth Enterprise grant funding. Over 200 organisations submitted applications for funding to run programmes for young people, from which 12 winners have been selected across the UK.

The grant applications were submitted on-line and winners were chosen by a judging panel which included a public vote, that more than 7,000 people took part in. The winners include a variety of programmes such as access to training, mentoring and support, skills and knowledge development, and building the skills necessary to start up and survive in business.

You can view the 12 winning organisations here.

Thom Kenrick, Head of Sustainability Programmes, RBS Group said; "We are delighted to support 12 more organisations with this round of Inspiring Youth Enterprise funding.  Once again we were hugely impressed by the depth and breadth of the enterprise support that's available for the UK's young people. RBS is committed to unlocking, supporting and nurturing entrepreneurial talent and we believe these organisations will help us achieve that goal."

RBS Inspiring Youth Enterprise has been designed to encourage more young people to explore enterprise, build their skills, start up and succeed in business. RBS is making £500,000 of grants available every year for the next three years. The grants will go to organisations who support young people (13-30 year olds) through dedicated enterprise programmes.

For more information on their grant funding process, please watch their video here.

Dundee's GA Engineering to take on new Apprentices

A high-end Dundee engineering firm is to take on 60 new apprentices over the next five years following a £1.8 million cash injection.

GA Engineering manufactures precision-tooled components for use in the oil and gas, chemical and automotive industries from its base at Pitkerro industrial estate.

The firm — which counts Halliburton, Expro and WL Gore among its client base — has secured a new five-year banking facility with Lloyds TSB and the Bank of Scotland and created a new training academy at its Dundee headquarters.

The facility will cater for 12 apprentices every year who will be trained in a variety of engineering skills.

Managing director Gordon Deuchars said there was a severe skills shortage in the industry, and training apprentices capable of taking on bespoke engineering tasks was essential to the company’s future.

Although the academy is a new development, GA has been offering apprenticeships for 15 years and has already reaped the rewards of making a financial commitment to uprating engineering skills....READ MORE

McDonalds to Create Around 200 Jobs in Scotland

FAST-FOOD chain McDonald’s is creating about 200 new jobs in Scotland this year.

The move is part of a UK-wide recruitment drive which will see 2,500 new positions filled in 2013.

It follows 3,500 jobs created by McDonald’s last year, of which 70 per cent were taken by young people under the age of 21.

The company said its growth has been driven by investment in its restaurants, technology, extended opening hours and menu choice. READ MORE

Apprenticeships Models

Introduction

As a part of Stuart’s Get Ready for Work placement at Apprenticeships in Scotland, he was asked to look at the different types of apprenticeship models and find out more out about them. He has done this and summarised them in the report. Stuart found it interesting to look at the mainland European models where they are really popular and supported, the model looks to spread further.    

 

Standard Model

The first model is where the employer decides to take on an apprentice to come into their workplace. The apprentice is employed by the employer where they work and learn on the job. The employer works with the training provider who provides the apprentice’s framework. The training provider reviews the apprentice’s progress and accesses it against the learning outcomes towards a vocational qualification. This model is the most commonly used across the UK and is used by apprenticeships in Scotland.

 

Apprenticeship Training Agencies

 

This model is great for small employers as the use apprenticeship training agencies (ATA) to host the apprenticeship. What the ATA does is source the apprentice and acts as the apprentice’s employer. The employer who is hosting the apprentice pays the ATA for the apprentice’s services. Reasons why a small employer would use an ATA are:

• They can not commit to the frame work
• Short-term restrictions on employee numbers
• Unsure about apprenticeships

If the employer is unable to provide some aspects of the apprenticeship they can be linked with other employers to allow the full frame work to be covered. For the employer the ATA will:

• Find the right apprentice for the employer
• They are responsibile for the wages, tax, national insurance, administration and performance management
• Supervision of the apprentice
• Provide links with training providers
• Support to employers and apprentices

Group Training Associations

Group training associations (GTAs) were set up to train on behalf of employers. A GTA is a training organisation governed by the employers who are subscripted to the group. Through collaborative membership they share knowledge, develop processes and systems of mutual benefit. GTAs were set up in response to common difficulties in attracting and training young people. They were original were small groups of firms in the same industry and in the same local area. GTA membership tends to be geographically specific and largely based on delivery of apprenticeships. A key difference between GTAs and other providers is that GTAs have membership. Having member is said to add accountability, immediate feedback and a sense of ownership over the GTA.

Swiss Apprenticeships  

Switzerland has one of the most successful apprenticeship systems in the world. The country regularly tops the result tables in international skills competitions. In Switzerland the unemployment rate of 7.5% compared to the United Kingdom’s 21.9%. In Switzerland apprenticeships are valued and successful route to take. In the UK the university education is widely seen as the only legit path to Professional careers, this is not the case in Switzerland. Around two thirds of young people do apprenticeships compared to 6% here. The Swiss model combines 3 days in the work place and 2 at vocational college. A big fear for employers in the UK in regards to apprenticeships is that the young person may leave at end and take all the skills they’ve enquired with them. However in Switzerland a standardised approach to training means all apprentices acquire similar skills and expertise, which means employers are more relaxed about the idea. Another difference is that in Swiss apprenticeships are generally seen as traineeship that may or may not lead job whereas here the National Apprenticeship Service stresses that an apprenticeship should be a job, and not a course or qualification. In Switzerland there is a collective responsibility felt by employers, educators and learners for the success of apprenticeships.

German Apprenticeships

In Germany nearly two thirds of school kids undertake apprenticeships. A quarter of employers provide apprenticeships. The German model emphasises a combination of theoretical training in the classroom and hands-on experience in the work place. This dual system where apprentices are structured training by the employer alongside the general and vocational education they receive. Training plans are different for different sectors but always deliver after close consultation between the employer, educators and government. The programme is drawing admiring glances because of Germany’s strong economy and its low youth unemployment. Meanwhile young people in the west are coming out of university with debt and dim job prospects. In Germany, finding employment without having completed an apprenticeship is almost impossible. One reason this model is so successful is that it has a school system to support it. Although this system is great there is little point in other countries following the model if there is no commercial demand for the skill being taught. For the apprenticeship to work for the young people, the businesses, committed to planning future products and investment into the workforce.