Tag: apprenticeships

Scottish Power supports Young Person’s Guarantee to aid Green Recovery Plan

ScottishPower today confirmed it will commit to the Young Person’s Guarantee as part of its overall plan to support the UK’s Green Recovery.

To avoid a ‘lost generation’, the new Young Person’s Guarantee aims to ensure all 16-24 year olds in Scotland get the chance to succeed through an apprenticeship, job, training, further education or volunteering.

The commitment by ScottishPower marks the start of 2021’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week (1-5 March). 

ScottishPower is one of the largest employers in Scotland and currently has around 5,500 staff at sites across the UK, including 1650 at its Glasgow-based HQ. It is the UK’s only integrated energy company and generates 100% green electricity.

A Principal Partner for the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow later this year, it is investing a total of £10bn in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise.

Under the Guarantee, it is making five commitments to help young people at this critical time:

  • prepare young people for the world of work through work experience, volunteering and work-based learning opportunities
  • engage with and provide opportunities to young people who face barriers to work
  • create work-based learning, training and upskilling opportunities for young people
  • create jobs and opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, paid internships and work experience
  • create an inclusive workplace to support learning and enable young people to meet their potential

ScottishPower already has a range of successful apprenticeship schemes, scholarships, internships, summer placements and other opportunities to support people either entering the workplace for the first time, from school leavers to graduates, or those returning after career breaks.

Under Young Person’s Guarantee, it is committing to furthering its opportunities for young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds around the UK. This will include grassroots pre-employment schemes in local communities for young people in and around Glasgow.

Sheila Duncan, ScottishPower’s HR Director, said: “The theme for Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 is Business Backing Talent and what better way to show our commitment to the future of our young people than by committing to support Young Person’s Guarantee.

“Young people are quite simply the future of our business and we know how successful our apprenticeship and employability schemes can be in terms of attracting, training and retaining talent.

“The past year has been incredibly difficult for our young people and accessing opportunities to help energise their careers shouldn’t seem out of their reach. 

“I’m delighted we’re supporting the Guarantee and we’re fully committed to ensuring there are a wide range of exciting opportunities available to them as we strive to deliver a better future, quicker.”

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of our work to support our young people, who have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

“The Scottish Government is committed to helping our young people and we have dedicated £25 million to increase apprenticeship opportunities in response to Covid-19.

“Not only do these valuable opportunities provide essential experience to progress, they are also hugely beneficial to our employers and businesses.

“Apprenticeships are also a crucial aspect of our million Young Person’s Guarantee, which since November has created around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work, education or training.

“I want our young people and employers to know we support you and will continue to do all we can to build a strong economy recovery for Scotland.”

Barratt apprentices excel after overcoming COVID-19 challenges

Starting a new working life and career during a global pandemic has been a huge challenge for thousands of young people across Scotland. Last August at Barratt East Scotland, four new apprentices started as part of the housebuilder’s regional 11-person brickwork team.

Alan Turnbull, 24 from Edinburgh, had previously been working as a labourer with a local contractor. After the promise of an apprenticeship fell through, Alan decided to take the leap and apply for one with Barratt. “I’m someone who wants to be proud of the work they do and be able to show something for it, so the opportunity of working for a big company like Barratt really tempted me.”

Ciaran Grieg, 17, did a multi-skills course at college and enjoyed the bricklaying aspect, so decided to look for opportunities in the construction industry. “It just happened that Barratt was building a new site across from where I stayed and were looking for bricklayers, I really lucked out. I’d also heard lots about their apprenticeship programme so decided to go for it.”

Seven months in, they’re now working at a number of Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes developments across the east of Scotland helping build a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes.

Both Alan and Ciaran were surprised about how hands-on their experience has been so far and can already see the positive impact their role has around the wider teams. Alan said: “Because I’ve done well, I’ve been able to be a lot more involved than I would have usually, that’s meant building a lot more and allowing the other tradesmen to do their tasks easier and quicker.”

Although construction has been able to continue with enhanced safety measures under government restrictions, Barratt has adapted its apprenticeship programme using tools that haven’t always been traditional in the housebuilding sector.

Ray Gibson, brickwork manager at Barratt East Scotland, looks after the apprentices in his department: “The apprentices have done really well so far despite the different circumstances.

“Because face-to-face classes in colleges are currently on hold, we’ve often adapted the way we work with them. Through a WhatsApp group, I have given them weekly challenges, where they upload pictures and short video clips of what they have been doing.

“These challenges put them in squads who then take the apprentices under their wing, giving them as much training and opportunity with practical experience as possible. Social distancing has made it difficult for the apprentices to learn from other teams, as we’ve had to place them in smaller squads. So these chat groups have worked well to bring them together and form a sense of camaraderie.”

Both Alan and Ciaran said a highlight of the job were the teams they were put in. “Although it’s been odd with social distancing and not being able to mix with the whole site, working with my team has been a highlight. We have a great laugh and it makes learning on the job a lot easier,” said Alan.

“I really enjoyed the experience of meeting new people and I’ve managed to make a fair few friends during the apprenticeship,” added Ciaran.

Different from previous years, the interview process saw each applicant in a group setting, to get a better insight on their ability to work well with others, as well as having to carry out a demonstration of their own individual skills.

“By establishing them in a squad, we hope that by the time they finish their placements they stay with Barratt. I’m pretty confident that this will be true for the apprentices in their third and fourth years and I’d like to think that those in their first years want to move into management,” said Ray.

When asked about his future plans, Ciaran said: “My aim for the next few years is to keep improving my skills and hopefully stay with Barratt.

“If I had to give one piece of advice to someone starting, it’s to go for it. It’s been great learning on the job and from people around me with years of experience. But also, don’t get too cheeky and respect your elders.” 

Apprenticeships are an integral part of Barratt Homes, as they recognise the importance of developing and retaining a budding workforce, offering career opportunities in the areas that they build in, while addressing the current skills shortage.

Available to people who have just left school or college and are looking for a new challenge, apprenticeships are also open to those who have already started working towards a career in housebuilding.

Barratt East Scotland will be recruiting eight apprentices in September of this year and January 2022.

A total of 26 new starts will form part of Barratt Developments Scotland’s 2021 intake, in a number of positions across the business, from Sales and Land graduates as part of their ASPIRE Graduate Programme, to bricklayer and carpenter trade apprentices.

To find out more about apprenticeship programmes with Barratt Homes visit https://www.barrattcareers.co.uk/early-careers/apprentices

Two in 3 agree: An Apprenticeship is as good as a Degree

New research launched in line with National Apprenticeship Week (8-14 February) has revealed that more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents agreed* that an apprenticeship is as valuable, and provides a young person with equal future prospects, as a university degree.

This finding highlights a significant improvement in the perceptions of apprenticeships and solidifies the Government’s strategy in achieving greater parity between further education (FE) and higher education.

The research, commissioned by independent training provider, Babington, showed a significant improvement in the perceived value of apprenticeships in comparison to previous years; a 2016 report found that only 24 per cent of young people believed an apprenticeship could give them a better chance of getting a good job than going to university.

This is a positive step towards understanding the value that apprenticeships provide not only for individuals, but for employers and the economy. This is especially true in light of the current pandemic, in which FE will play a significant role in building a skilled workforce to safeguard our economic recovery and long-term growth.

However, there remains a challenge and a lack of confidence in how this translates to employment opportunities, particularly when it comes to recruitment. The research also uncovered that 43 per cent of 16-24-year-olds agree* that an employer would favour a university degree over an apprenticeship.

These findings suggest that while perceptions are improving within society, and positivity surrounding apprenticeships is growing, the Government and employers must work in tandem to develop recruitment practices which expel any bias towards university degrees. This collaboration will better empower learners to build skills through their apprenticeships and secure employment that will support long-term career development. 

David Marsh, CEO of Babington, said: “It is clear that the efforts of all of those within the further education (FE) sector are paying off and the Government’s strategy in encouraging apprenticeships is working.

“However, what we’re now seeing is a disconnect with employer recruitment which could have an impact on those individuals considering an apprenticeship and how it might affect their long-term career prospects.

“Therefore, we now need to focus on supporting a much wider cultural shift amongst employers and recruitment teams to ensure the parity of apprenticeships is considered at every level.

“After all, if we are to effectively embed an employer-centric skills system then we need to continue working on changing behaviours and practices and recognise the multitude of benefits and skills which apprentices can offer.”

Tracy Fairhurst, Head of Apprenticeships, Royal Mail said: “We value apprenticeships at all levels as a hugely beneficial tool to develop talent within our organisation.  There are a wide range of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships available to support career development and provide a true earn while you learn opportunity as an alternative to the traditional fulltime study at university. 

“There are tangible benefits for both employer and apprentice – the apprentice gets to know the business and the sector in depth and can see the visible impact of applying learning.  For the employer, there are commercial and bottom-line benefits from synoptic projects and fresh thinking.

“I would encourage any employer to think widely about options to fill a role to make sure you get the best return on your people investment and apprenticeships are often the obvious choice.  We intend to do far more about achieving a more balanced approach to accessing talent pools based on the very positive results we are seeing so far.”

Ann Bridges, L&D Manager at M&S said: “Our apprenticeship programmes are a vital part of our recruitment and talent strategy. For apprentices, they offer the perfect foundations to kickstart a career in retail; while for M&S, they serve to strengthen our skills & talent pipeline.

“Alongside partner Babington, in November we launched retail’s first level three data technician apprenticeship, which teaches M&S colleagues the fundamentals of how to manipulate and scrutinise data, and translate it into valuable insights that the business can act upon.

“Programmes such as this are a key way we’ll continue to grow our digital & data capabilities and accelerate our transformation to become a digital first retailer.”

Edinburgh Amazon apprentice encourages others to join

Recruitment has started for 25 different apprenticeship schemes ranging from engineering to broadcast production, creative digital design to health, safety and environment technician

Roles include 100 degree-level apprenticeships and more than 500 apprenticeships for Amazon employees, providing an opportunity to retrain and gain new skills

Pay starts at a minimum of £10.80 p/h in the London area and £9.70 p/h in other parts of the UK up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships

Amazon created 10,000 new permanent UK jobs in 2020, and now employs more than 40,000 people across the country

Amazon has announced it has started recruiting for over 1,000 full-time apprenticeships in the UK in 2021, covering 25 different programmes ranging from IT, safety technician and HR through to software engineering and creative digital design.

The roles which pay minimum of £10.80 p/h in the London area and £9.70 p/h in other parts of the UK up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships include 100 degree-level apprenticeships in automation engineering, project management, software development and chartered management.

Over 500 new apprenticeships will be offered to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing opportunities to retrain and gain new skills leading to an exciting new career path. Apprenticeships exclusively for Amazon employees range from a team leader through to a coaching practitioner.

In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount – which combined are worth more than £700 annually – as well as a company pension plan.  

Apprentice programmes last between 14 months and four years and a typical apprenticeship combines theoretical learning with hands-on training, enabling participants to obtain qualifications and degrees and earn money in the process. 

Once qualified, apprentices will have the potential to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and the company’s UK head offices in London and Manchester and the three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London.

The 1,000 apprenticeships add to Amazon’s continued commitment to creating jobs and opportunities to learn new skills across the UK. Amazon created 10,000 new permanent jobs in the UK in 2020 alone, and employs more than 40,000 people in some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world with competitive pay, processes and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan, said: “It’s fantastic to see Amazon continuing to invest in apprentices. These apprenticeships cover a range of exciting roles from broadcast production to engineering, showcasing the huge variety of opportunities available to young people looking to build a great career.

“I know first-hand the life changing opportunities an apprenticeship can bring. I wish all those who apply the best of luck and thank Amazon for their ongoing commitment to building skills and talent both for today and in the future.”

 “We are proud to be creating new opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK to gain skills through our apprenticeship programmes in 25 different fields, from logistics to robotics,” said, John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon.

“An Amazon apprenticeship offers an exciting career path, creating opportunities within our local communities across the UK and helping our own employees retrain and gain new skills at a time when investing in people and jobs has never been more important.”

Hal Stanfield (25), IT apprentice based in the Networking and Project Management team at the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Hal left school and joined Amazon’s customer service scheme. Through the Amazon Career Choice Programme, Hal was able to develop his burgeoning interest in IT and embarked on a part-time college course in computing with on-the-job training through the IT apprenticeship. 

Hal said: “I wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise, and Amazon made it really convenient to re-train myself. It’s been great for my confidence, I’m now so much more skilled and engaged in my role.

“This apprenticeship has been one of the best work decisions I’ve ever made. In my role I get to talk to people in all areas of the business, and that’s something I really enjoy. There’s also a strong community in the apprenticeship programme that has developed through group activities and chats, despite the pandemic.”

The 1,000 new apprentices will join current apprentices already working at Amazon. The current Amazon apprenticeship schemes have attracted recruits from a range of different backgrounds from a former barista, footballer and photographer, to former military veterans and nurses.

Throughout the last year, people have also joined Amazon from construction, customer services, health care, hospitality and sales industries.

Amazon also offers employees Career Choice, an innovative programme which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Amazon provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.

Amazon has invested over £23 billion in the UK since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while supporting tens of thousands of businesses and creative professionals including small businesses selling on Amazon’s online stores, Amazon Web Services developers and Kindle Direct Publishing authors. 

Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk

More funding for apprenticeships

Scotland’s future workforce will be at the heart of rebuilding the economy following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said.

Announcing £10 million for a range of measures to recruit and retain apprentices, including additional funding for the Scottish Government’s Adopt an Apprentice programme, Ms Hyslop said the funding would help modern and graduate apprentices who are facing redundancy as a result of COVID-19 get back into work.

Ms Hyslop (above) said: “The young people who will make up our future workforce are among those who have been hardest hit by this pandemic. As such, it is crucial that we support them and ensure they are at the heart of our economic recovery from COVID-19.

“This targeted funding will extend the reach of our support for apprentices, including our Adopt an Apprentice programme. Combined with our commitment of at least £50 million for youth employment and the Youth Guarantee, we will ensure no one is left behind.

“Apprenticeships are not only valuable for our young people, they are a key way for all employers to invest in their workforce, and provide the skills the economy needs both now and in the future.

“Our focus is on protecting jobs, creating jobs, ensuring quality jobs and supporting skilled jobs. By taking this action to protect and support skilled jobs now, we will rebuild a stronger, fairer and greener future for Scotland.”

Frank Mitchell, Chair of Skills Development Scotland, said: “This welcome announcement underlines the importance of apprentices to the Scottish economy and the crucial role they will play in supporting individuals and businesses in the recovery from COVID-19. 

“We will continue to liaise with the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board and other employer organisations on the development and delivery of employer incentives and subsidies. SDS is also fully engaged with the work Sandy Begbie is leading on the development of a jobs guarantee for young people in order to maximise the use of all available incentives towards the retention and recruitment of apprentices.”  

Further immediate investment to support economic recovery from COVID-19 was set out last week by the Scottish Government, with additional funding for workforce training and digital technology announced.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund, which helps employers upskill and reskill their existing workforce through college courses, will be increased from £10 million to £20 million.

Meanwhile a further £1.5 million will be invested into the Digital Boost programme – almost trebling the capacity of the initiative for the remainder of this financial year.

GRAHAM supports Women Into Construction initiative

Young women from across Central Scotland participating in the ‘Women into Construction’ programme have completed a three-day course to build a wind turbine, facilitated by leading contractor GRAHAM.

‘Women into Construction’ has been devised by Action for Children to encourage more females into the construction industry, where women currently only account for 14% of the workforce.

GRAHAM is a lead partner of the initiative and arranged for the group of young women to take part in the wind turbine project with ConStructEd Scotland at Sibbald’s training facility at Blackridge, to further develop their learning and gain practical, real life construction experience.

The hands-on course has seen the group manage all aspects of the wind turbine construction project from the ground up. Working outdoors in the elements, the team have built formwork, tested and poured concrete before erecting the turbine mast and assembling the electrics to generate power.

Each stage of construction has involved learning and using a variety of materials, tools and skills which can be put to good use in the working world when the programme ends.

Across the duration of the seven-week training programme, the young women from Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian will learn about various sectors of the construction industry; each aspiring to secure an apprenticeship in their chosen field after they graduate from the course in May.

Suzanne Stevenson, Social Impact Advisor for GRAHAM said: “There is a significant gender imbalance in the construction sector, so initiatives like ‘Women into Construction’ provide a strong platform to show just how rewarding and varied a career in construction can be.

“As a company, GRAHAM looks to provide as many opportunities as possible to the younger generation, including apprenticeship schemes and funding further education. It’s been a pleasure to watch the young women progress throughout the course and we look forward to supporting them in their futures where possible.”

Charlie Douglas, 16, from Bonnyrigg, a participant on the ‘Women into Construction’ programme said: “The ‘Women into Construction’ programme has been a brilliant experience and opportunity for me.

“I grew up watching my dad and brother work in construction and I’ve loved being able to train in the same field, as part of an all-female group. The course has made me feel far more comfortable and confident as everyone is in the same position, learning the basics together.

“The wind turbine project was a great way to get some hands-on experience and now I’d really like to take this further and explore a career in the construction industry.”

GRAHAM is a member of the “5% Club”, an organisation consisting of companies committed to ensuring 5% of their workforce over the next five years is comprised of young people on structured learning schemes.

Those interested in applying for an apprenticeship with GRAHAM in Scotland are encouraged to send a CV and covering letter to: Glasgow.GrahamAcademy@graham.co.u

Barratt East Scotland to recruit seven new apprentices

Leading housebuilder Barratt East Scotland is to recruit seven new apprentices this year as part of its ongoing commitment to tackling the skills shortage in the construction industry.

The new trade apprentice roles, focused on bricklaying (three) and joinery (three), will work across Barratt’s developments in Edinburgh and the surrounding area. Barratt Homes East Scotland will also be recruiting a Level 3 Advanced Apprentice within its technical department.

This year, a total of 158 apprentices will start their careers with Barratt Developments PLC in exciting roles across the UK.

The new apprenticeship announcement comes ahead of the latest National Apprenticeship Week, running from 3 to 7 February, which celebrates the benefits of modern apprenticeships for individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

2020 is seen as a vital year for recruiting new talent into the construction industry as an estimated fifth of the current workforce will have retired by this year; according to data from the 2011 ONS Census which showed that one in five workers were aged over 55.

Skills shortages continue to be cited as a major risk to the growth and success of the construction sector, both in Scotland and across the UK. The latest construction market survey (Q3 2019) from RICS indicated that two in five respondents (41%) believe that a shortage of skilled labour remains a challenge and an obstacle to growth.

Alison Condie, Managing Director for Barratt East Scotland, said: “The construction industry is continuing to grow so there are exciting roles on offer that aren’t possible in other sectors.

“As the UK’s leading five-star housebuilder, we are committed to developing raw talent and giving young people opportunities to forge exciting new careers.”

The new apprentices, who start in the summer, will be based on a housing designated development site and will learn skills in bricklaying, carpentry, joinery or plumbing from experienced tradespeople.

They will also attend their local college to obtain qualifications and develop their trade skills.

All programmes are well structured and tailored to individual needs. Apprentices will receive encouragement, support and guidance to help them develop, giving the skills and qualifications for a successful career.

For further information about the roles available and to apply visit: www.barrattcareers.co.uk

For more information about Barratt Homes visit: www.barratthomes.co.uk.