Employers are being urged to get behind Scotland’s first apprentice convention. Scotland’s Apprentice Convention is set to take place on 8 November.
Hundreds of apprentices from across the country will gather at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is organising the event for current apprentices.
The Convention aims to create a sense of pride and community among apprentices whilst supporting their ongoing development as professionals.
On the day, attendees will hear from inspiring speakers, gain invaluable new skills and create new contacts with other apprentices from all over the country.
SDS Director of National Training Programmes, Katie Hutton, said: “Apprentices and their employers know the benefits of working, learning and earning.
“By supporting the event, employers can help inspire the next generation of apprentices.”
Employers can register their
apprentices to attend the free event at:
www.registerforevent.co.uk/ScotAppCon. More information on apprenticeships.scot.
Wealth of experience through Foundation Apprenticeship
A work placement with an Edinburgh financial services firm Scotia Wealth Management has helped Edinburgh pupil Cameron Smith map out his plans for the future.
Cameron chose a Foundation Apprenticeship in place of a subject choice at Broughton High School as he wanted to gain practical experience of the workplace.
Foundation Apprenticeships are designed for pupils in the senior phase of secondary school and combine school and college learning with work experience. Delivered by Skills Development Scotland, Foundation Apprenticeships have been developed in partnership with industry to provide work-based learning in growth sectors such as engineering and digital.
Pupils can choose to take a Foundation Apprenticeship alongside other school subjects and completion leads to a qualification at a similar level as a Higher.
There is an ambition to achieve up to 5000 Foundation Apprenticeship starts by the end of 2019.
With 12 different options to choose from, Cameron decided upon Financial Services, delivered through Edinburgh College.
He said: “Choosing the apprenticeship in place of a subject offered me a chance to get an insight into the world of work which traditionally wouldn’t have been possible through school.”
The 17-year-old said: “It was definitely a good decision – I’ve really broadened my knowledge of the financial industry.”
Earlier this year, Cameron spent a week on placement at Scotia Wealth Management, which he says has been incredibly valuable experience.
He said: “I really enjoyed my time at Scotia Wealth Management, I learned a lot. It’s really good to be able to practically implement what I’ve learned at Edinburgh College. By putting it in to practice, I feel like I’m learning it more thoroughly.”
The apprenticeship has not only given Cameron knowledge of the financial industry but also helped him decide the career path he wants to follow.
“This experience has helped me decide my future career goals and I’ve been able to narrow down my final decisions about what I want to do after I leave school.”
When he leaves school next year, Cameron hopes to study Business Management at university, with the end goal of running his own business.
