Shannen is a trailblazer!

Shannen Scott (21) is the first young person in Scotland to complete an Apprenticeship in Enterprise and will receive her qualification at a ceremony in the European Commission on 18th March 2014. Shannen will also showcase her journey and social enterprise to the European Apprenticeships Alliance on the same day.

It’s all go! Shannen received the exciting news that she has been selected as a finalist for the Enterprise category in the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards 2014. The awards ceremony will take place on 10th April in the SECC Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow.

To cap it all off, Shannen pitched her journey and the opportunity to Fife Council who have announced that they will support another 19 young people to follow in her footsteps and take on an Apprenticeship in Enterprise as part of their commitment to expanding and innovating youth opportunity provision and creating a culture of enterprise in Fife.

To find out more and keep up to date with Apprenticeships in Enterprise visit their website on www.apprenticeshipsinenterprise.com

If you want to chat with Shannen about her journey, contact her via email on Shannen@careerstudio.co.uk

#yearoftheapprentice #InternationalWomensDay

Skills Development Scotland Launch 2013 Modern Apprenticeship Scheme

The SDS Launch of the 2013 Modern Apprenticeship Scheme took place at the Tennent’s Training Academy.

The lives of 25,000 young people in Scotland have been transformed in 2012/13 by taking up a Modern Apprenticeship (MA) opportunity.

The Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland have confirmed that the target to enhance the job prospects of 25,000 young people through training in a key sector has been met for a second year.

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance marked the occasion by meeting a number of MAs working at the Tennent’s Training Academy in Glasgow.

She said: “The Scottish Government recognises the value of the Modern Apprenticeship programme in developing and improving the skills of our young people. An MA gives them a job and a qualification, as well as a real entry point to the working world. This is precisely why we set ourselves the challenging target to offer 25,000 MA opportunities for each year of the current Parliament and I am delighted that the target has again been reached. READMORE

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

Chance for Young Scots to Launch Career in Water Industry

WORK prospects for young Scots are being boosted with Scottish Water launching a number of schemes to provide training and employment opportunities.

The utility's Modern Apprentice programme now has 77 young people enrolled, working across the business from operations to engineering, customer service and science. Thirty-three people are also currently working as part of Scottish Water's graduate programme, with plans to recruit more in 2013.

Other initiatives include:

Working with colleges, the SQA and the Sector Skills Council to create new qualifications and 'Apprenticeship Pathways' to open up entry routes for young people across the wider water industry in Scotland.

Engaging with suppliers and partners such as Balfour Beattie and Farrans to encourage apprenticeship intakes with 26 young people already completing apprenticeships and a further 37 working towards completing the scheme. It's hoped around 30 new apprentices will be taken on each…READ MORE

Scottish Government Unveils Modern Apprenticeships For Fishing Industry

Richard Lochhead: new entrants are 'life blood of fishing industry'

THE Scottish Government today launched a new modern apprenticeship training programme to give young people the chance to enter Scotland’s £500 million a year fishing industry.

• Modern apprenticeship will give young people the chance to enter Scotland’s £500m a year fishing industry
• Richard Lochhead keen for new entrants to be future life blood of fishing industry

The Modern Apprenticeship in Sea Fishing scheme will offer young people, aged 16 to 24, an entry route into a career in fishing. And it is hoped that up to 20 young people will start their careers as trawlermen each year through the programme.

Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Fisheries Secretary, announced the new scheme during a visit to the port of Buckie on the Moray Firth.

He said: “New entrants are the future life blood of the fishing industry and if we are to secure the future of fishing in Scotland we need to do all we can make a career in fishing more accessible for young people.

“We need to ensure that the fleet can access the skills and manpower needed to be successful. Therefore the launch of the new apprenticeship scheme marks a very positive start to the year for Scottish fishing.” READ MORE