Edinburgh College Open Days this week

Open Day at Granton Campus on Wednesday

Anyone wanting to boost their qualifications, improve their job prospects, get on the career ladder or learn new skills should come along to Edinburgh College’s Course Open Days this week.

The Open Days on Wednesday (17 June) at Granton Campus and Thursday 18 June at Milton Road Campus – from 2-6pm on each day – are an opportunity to take the first steps into further education or learn new career-advancing skills. Expert staff will be on hand to discuss course information, progression routes and funding options.

The Open Days are a chance to learn more about and apply for the college’s new range of part-time, evening and leisure courses, including professional development programmes. These are open for applications now and include Accounting and Finance, Art and Design, Business and Enterprise, Construction, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Engineering, I.T., Performing Arts, and Sport and Travel.

The Open Days are also an opportunity to find out about full-time courses beginning in August with remaining places, which will open again on the college website this week.

At the Open Days, the college’s advisors will have all the information prospective students need, including funding options. Students on part-time courses may have several funding options available depending on their circumstances, including Individual Learning Accounts. Advisors can help students with funding applications.

Edinburgh College principal Annette Bruton said: “We have top-quality courses across our whole curriculum to suit a range of study needs, and we’d love anyone interested in finding out more to come down to our open days. Whether you want to develop your education or career, or you want to become skilled in a different field, there’s part-time, full-time and evening options to fit into your lifestyle.

“You’ll be taught by dedicated lecturers with real industry experience so you’ll be well prepared for the next steps of your career. Even if you’re not sure what the best option for you is, our advisors will be able to help and guide you to make the best decision possible.”

For more information about available courses, to make an application and to register your interest in a course, go to www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk

Family-friendly: funding for flexible working doubled

Funding to promote flexible working has more than doubled, the Acting Minister for Children Fiona McLeod has announced.

The Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership, a coalition of organisations which encourage and help businesses become family friendly workplaces, will receive £250,000 – up from £100,000 funding last year.

Ms McLeod visited Badenoch & Clark, winners of Best Small Employer at the Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2015, to meet employees who benefit from flexible work arrangements.

She said: “We know many parents and carers have to juggle work with family commitments and this can be challenging. This government is committed to promoting flexible working across both public and private sector employers. That is why we fund the Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership and I’m pleased we have been able to more than double the funding this year.

“We want more organisations to embrace flexible working arrangements for parents and carers as it benefits both employers and employees. It can boost productivity and performance, improve morale and wellbeing, as well as enhancing staff retention and recruitment.

“Badenoch & Clark is an excellent example of a business accommodating its employees’ needs for flexible working patterns and as a result, retaining talented and loyal staff. It is also proof that it’s not just large employers who can do so. I hope to see more businesses across Scotland develop similar approaches to flexible working.”

Bonnie Clarke, Director of Badenoch & Clark, said: “At Badenoch & Clark, we are fully committed to a family friendly working environment and were delighted to be recognised for our progressive policies by winning one of the inaugural Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards.

“We believe that working environments that help employees find a good work-life balance are the most productive and high performing and it’s great to see that the Scottish Government also recognises this through its increased funding for the Family Friendly Working Scotland partnership.”

Nikki Slowey, Programme co-ordinator for the Family Friendly Working Scotland (FFWS) programme said: “We are delighted to receive continued funding for the FFWS programme. FFWS supports employers to embed family friendly working practices, which have proven benefits for employees, employers and wider society.

“The Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards recognise best practice in this field and we are delighted that Ms McLeod will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from one of our inaugural award winners about how creating a family friendly workplace has benefitted employees and has been good for business. We hope to work with as many Scottish employers as possible during the coming year to make a real difference to working families across Scotland.”

ProjectScotland announce six new roles in Edinburgh

ProjectScotland: Helping young people in Scotland to get on in life through volunteering

Young people in Edinburgh looking to develop new skills, take on exciting projects and gain valuable experience this summer should consider ProjectScotland. The charity, which helps young people get on in life through volunteering, has announced six new and exciting opportunities across the city.

ProjectScotland matches young people with charities working in areas including the arts, sports, youth work and animal care, or to departments within charities such as marketing, human resources, fundraising and journalism.

For budding writers with a keen news sense there is an opportunity for a Journalist and Content Creator to join the team at Relationships Scotland. Or, for those who possess the skill to capture a reader’s attention in 140 characters or less, the disabled access review website and app Euan’s Guide is looking for their next Social Media Guru and Content Whizz!

For those people looking to be out and about this summer, Gorgie City Farm is looking for a Summer Activities Assistant. From taking part in animal work to event planning and tour guiding, the role is perfect for anyone who enjoys working with children and animals.

For a role offering more desk-based experience, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland is offering multiple opportunities for volunteers to build a variety of skills. Their role of Strategic Group Facilitator will allow a volunteer to gain skills in the provision of key secretariat support whilst the Community Researcher role will give a volunteer key research and organisational skills.

Age Scotland is seeking a Community Contacts Collation Volunteer with great communication skills to help collect information and answer calls on their Silver Line Scotland national helpline. Volunteers will gain valuable organisational skills as well as experience in dealing with members of the public.

Gunduz Ozturk, former ProjectScotland volunteer at Blackwood Foundation, has recently gone on to secure a full time position with Port of Leith Housing Association. He says his volunteering gave him the edge when it came to securing his job:

“Volunteering is amazing. You get out of it what you put in – I got to learn new skills, got help with training, and realised what sector I wanted to pursue a career in. I really can’t recommend it enough.”

Aileen Kennie, Partnership Manager Team Leader at ProjectScotland, said: “We offer 16-30 year olds a variety of three month quality volunteering opportunities with great organisations across Edinburgh and the whole of Scotland.

“Our partners in Edinburgh, including Lloyds TSB Foundation, Age Scotland and Euan’s Guide, give our volunteers the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their community and develop themselves, while organisations benefit from additional talent and energy.”

All ProjectScotland volunteers receive a travel allowance, are offered a mentor, and are invited to a series of job-focussed workshops designed to help them plan for the future.

Young people in Edinburgh can apply online at: www.projectscotland.co.uk

First Minister confirms 500 extra apprenticeships

youth employment boost at start of Apprenticeship Week

An extra 500 Modern Apprenticeship places will be funded over the next year following a £3.8 million investment, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today.

The funding will also be used to create more opportunities for young people still at school through work-based Foundation Apprenticeships for senior secondary pupils, which will provide industry recognised qualifications and first hand insight into the world of work.

The 500 places – announced to mark the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week – are the first step to expand Skills Development Scotland’s current apprentice programme from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020.

The First Minister met with some of the female apprentice mechanics at GTG Training which is owned by Arnold Clark, to highlight the opportunities open to young women through the new funding to encourage them to consider roles traditionally filled by men.

Arnold Clark has seen 160 apprentices starting this year – of whom 31 are female.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It’s vitally important that all of our young people in Scotland – no matter their background – have the opportunities available to get on in life.

“Apprenticeships not only offer our young people better job prospects – they also have a positive impact on businesses and industry, bringing value to employers and our economy.

“We have already seen youth unemployment reach its lowest level in seven years and with further investment in our young workforce – like these 500 apprenticeships – we can hope to see that continue to improve.

“I also want to make sure that these opportunities are open to everyone. Traditionally, some sectors have been dominated by men and women have felt that there are barriers to them entering.

“As we continue the expansion of our successful apprenticeship programmes we need to make sure that more young women are aware of the tremendous opportunities that an apprenticeship provides.

“I want our young women – as well as our young men – to be inspired and supported to achieve whatever they want in life.”

Carol Henry, Group HR Director, Arnold Clark said: “As a large employer and supporter of developing the young workforce of Scotland, I am pleased to see the continued efforts being made around the extension of apprenticeships. For young people to succeed in today’s workplace, it is essential that they are equipped with the right skills and knowledge. The public and private sector have an important role to play in ensuring valuable learning opportunities continue to be available to young people.”

News of the extra 500 places follows hot on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of a £125,000 investment to support female apprenticeships.

Women will receive further help in taking up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from a new programme to support Modern Apprenticeships (MAs).

The Scottish Government is investing a further £125,000 in the CareerWISE initiative to raise awareness of STEM MAs to girls and their parents, break down barriers to women taking them up and showcase employers taking action to address gender diversity in MAs.

CareerWISE, which is delivered by Equate Scotland at Edinburgh Napier University, was created in 2013 to raise awareness of STEM careers for girls from school age onwards.

The announcement coincides with the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2015, the annual showcase to highlight the benefits of MAs to both employers and potential trainees.

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham said: “The CareerWISE programme has made a considerable impact over the last 18 months however there remains the need to address gender balance in the STEM sectors in Scotland.

“The Scottish Government still firmly believes that there is no such thing as a job for a boy or a job for a girl. Our continued support for the CareerWISE programme and its new focus to support young women access STEM MAs sits at the heart of our drive for a more productive and fairer work place.

“I am very pleased to be able to fund this very specific piece of work that CareerWISE will take forward. This is further illustration of our determination to respond positively to recommendations of the report into Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

“We need more women to take up non-traditional career paths to achieve gender equality in the workplace. We are also committed to creating 30,000 new MA opportunities every year by 2020 and more women placed in STEM sectors will help us move towards that goal.

“This year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week looks like being the biggest yet with dozens of events up and down the country with a number of Scottish ministers getting involved in both local and national initiatives. BT have already seized the initiative by announcing 90 new MA posts on Friday, and I hope the next week’s activity encourages even more employers to consider the advantages of MAs to their business and the wider economy.”

Skills Development Scotland, Chief Executive, Damien Yeates, said: “Modern Apprenticeships provide excellent opportunities for young people to work, learn and earn.

“Programmes such as CareerWISE help young women see the real benefits of Modern Apprenticeships and work-based learning as valuable career options.

“We want Scottish Apprenticeship Week to inspire young people to find out about apprenticeships and take up the great opportunities apprenticeships provide to give their careers a great start.”

Linda Somerville, Project Director at Equate Scotland,added: “Building on the success with Careerwise, Equate Scotland will partner with employers to encourage them to take positive action to offer young women access to MAs, to address skills shortages in these sectors.”

Apprenticeships: it’s a man’s world?

In Edinburgh, parents are twice as likely to advise boys to take on an apprenticeship compared to girls
Just over a quarter of parents in Edinburgh said they would offer differing career advice to their sons and daughters

New research from Scottish Gas has revealed that parents in Edinburgh are twice as likely to advise boys to take on an apprenticeship compared to girls. 15% of parents would encourage their son to take on an apprenticeship while only 8% of parents would give the same advice to their daughter.

Parents’ views have a big impact on the career choices young people make. When asked about what career their parents would like them to pursue, half (27%) of teenage boys in Glasgow said an apprenticeship; only 10% of teenage girls reported the same.

As part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week (18 – 22 May), an independent national survey* polling teens and parents found that just over a quarter (28%) of parents in Edinburgh admitted offering their children differing career advice depending on their gender.

Only 17% of teenage girls in Edinburgh view an apprenticeship as a viable career option. Yet more than a third of teenage boys (35%) are keen to go straight from school into an apprenticeship scheme.

Scottish Gas, which has trained 500 apprentices from across Scotland since opening the doors to its academy in Hamilton five years ago, is urging more girls to consider an apprenticeship. Explaining this rally to young women, the company said in 2014 only 3.3% of applicants for its competitive technical and engineering apprenticeship schemes were female.

John Lochrie, who is a former Scottish Gas apprentice and is now Operations Director for HomeCare Services at Scottish Gas, said: “It’s clear from this research that apprenticeships are still regarded as something of a man’s world among young people.

“Apprenticeships are a great way into an organisation. A Scottish Gas apprenticeship allows you to earn while you learn and encourages you to develop skills for life. I’d encourage all girls thinking about their future career, or looking for employment, to consider an apprenticeship.”

Scottish Gas’ survey also reveals concerns with careers advice for teenage girls and boys. Over two fifths (44%) of teenage girls polled in Edinburgh complained of receiving unhelpful advice and 47% of teenage boys shared the same complaint.

Poor careers advice has resulted in teenage girls limiting their own career choices. Six in ten (60%) teenage girls in Edinburgh surveyed said they had never considered a career in engineering. Meanwhile, young people in the city felt teenage girls were best suited to very stereotyped roles with their top three career choices including: nursing (67%), beauty & fashion (68%) and healthcare (67%).

Fifer Andrew Ness (above) joined the Scottish Gas apprenticeship scheme in November 2013. After studying for a BSc in Microbiology and then working in the finance sector, he decided to change direction completely.

Andrew, (35), explained: “I had started on the path to a career in IT, getting my A+ and Network+ qualifications. Then I worked in the finance sector for 10 years. At the time I was also volunteering on weekends repairing computers for charities. I wanted to move into computer repair as a career but I found there were a lot of people going after a limited number of jobs.”

Andrew heard about the apprenticeships scheme through his flatmate who works in the Scottish Gas contact centre. He said: “It seemed like a great chance to get all of the skills and knowledge that I needed to make a new career for myself. I was so excited when I found out I’d been accepted. My family were really pleased for me too, because Scottish Gas is such a well-known company.”

Andrew was looking for a career that was more hands-on than his previous office-based jobs. He said: “Learning practical skills was a real change for me, having never done anything like it before. But with the support and training I received from my instructors, and some hard work, I got better at these practical skills really quickly. I’m sure anyone else could do the same.”

Like many of Scottish Gas’ apprentices, Andrew is particularly enjoying the sociable nature of his job. He said: “It’s amazing how many times you arrive at someone’s house to do some work for them and it turns out to be someone you already know! It’s great for someone like me who enjoys meeting new people and being around others.”

Andrew is now looking forward to what the future holds. He added: “I would absolutely recommend an apprenticeship with Scottish Gas. There is a lot of work involved and it takes real commitment but it is definitely worthwhile and really shows that you are someone who can reach a goal.

“I think being engineer is a great career choice for both men and women. It’s definitely practical and you need an interest in fixing things but anyone can do it. It’s really positive that Scottish Gas is encouraging more women to join its apprenticeship scheme.”

Tips for teens interested in an apprenticeship at Scottish Gas:

Head over to www.gov.uk/further-education-skills the official apprenticeship website to discover more about apprenticeships
Keep a close eye on : http://po.st/BGNAW2015 for information on apprenticeship schemes
Attend Scottish Gas’ open day during Scottish Apprenticeship Week. You can register your interest by visiting: http://po.st/BGNAW2015

Thirty organisations to attend Jobs Fair today

Attending todays’ Jobs & Employment Fair are:

Adecco
Airport Recruitment Centre
Army recruitment
Bluebird Care
Blueprint training
Care Uk
Freespace
NHS recruitment
Urban Union
Scottish Gas
Home Instead

Support/providers

Community Renewal

Cre8te/Digital Skills Academy

Forth Sector

Freshstart

Income maximisation/Welfare reform

Making it Work

North Edinburgh Childcare

Smartworks

Volunteer Centre

Intowork

Barnardo’s Works East

CITB

Community Jobs Scotland

Cyrenians

Edin College

Edinburgh Guarantee/IYP

SDS

Tomorrow’s People – Working it Out (North Edinburgh)

RUTS

Now all we need are the punters … !

Community employability event PosterV4

North Edinburgh Jobs & Information Fair today

THURSDAY 14 MAY

10.30am – 1.30pm

Are you looking for a new job? A change of direction? looking to get some new skills or start a course … need some help?

Find out more about real jobs, training and learning opportunities near you!

Meet representatives from a range of organisations that can advise and support you with applications, updating your skills, volunteering, caring and more. City council Welfare Refrom officers will also be available to provide advice on benefits and housing.

It’s all available today at Muirhouse Library and Pennywell Shopping Centre – check it out!

Jobs Fair in Muirhouse

Muirhouse Library and Shopping Centre will host an Employment and Learning Fair between 10.30am and 1.30pm this Thursday (14 May).

The event is aimed at both adult jobseekers and young people looking for advice and support to get into work or learning in North Edinburgh. Organisations attending the event will include employability providers from the local area as well as employers with vacancies to fill.

Community Renewal is one of the organisations involved in the jobs fair, and emplyment adviser Diana said: “Previous events have resulted in jobseekers securing interviews on the spot so jobseekers are advised to come prepared with CVs and dressed to impress!”

Street League comes to North Edinburgh

Street League, who use football to work with 16-24 year olds and help progress them into employment, run free employability courses for unemployed young people and a new Certificate Of Work Readiness Course starts in North Edinburgh today.

These courses are for 16-24 year olds, last for 12 weeks and offer:

• An opportunity to gain a recognised SQA qualification

• An 8 week work trial

• 1-1 employability support

• Improve personal development

• Develop fitness and football skills

The local course, which is running from Spartans Football Academy and Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, will be run by Danny Munro & Stuart Inglis. For further info or to make a referral contact Stuart on 07788312856, email stuart.inglis@streetleague.co.uk

Ministers mark National Apprentice Week

National Apprenticeship Week 2015 activity got off to a flying start on Monday when apprentices from across London met Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, at the London Eye, marking the official launch event of the week.

The event took place in the wake of research from economists at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), showing that millions of consumers would prefer to do business with apprentice employers.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “The benefits of apprenticeships are clear – they make a vital contribution to the economy, boost business productivity and give people the skills they need to get on in the world of work.

“As this research shows, there has been an important shift in the attitudes towards apprenticeships with businesses, consumers, and young people recognising the significant opportunities they can offer.

On Tuesday Jason Holt CBE hosted an event at the House of Commons showcasing the products and services made by apprentices at small to medium-sized enterprises and featuring speeches from political and business leaders. Jason also officially launched ApprenticeMakers, a peer support service for small businesses interested in taking on apprentices.

The event featured exhibitions from SMEs, including: Heartplus, John O’Conner Ltd, The Bridal Gallery, Mike Rowland and Son, Blue Moon Creative Ltd, Michael Taite, Jonny’s Sister Ltd, K&M McLoughlin Decorating Ltd, Promo 2 U Limited, Holition and Optimity.

On Wednesday evening, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg (top), welcomed employers and apprentices from the finance, legal and insurance services sectors at a reception in Whitehall. Skills Funding Agency executive director, Keith Smith, was accompanied to the event by an SFA apprentice who works in the legal team.

A catwalk-themed reception for Trailblazer employers was held yesterday at Elstree film studios, in partnership with the British Fashion Council, as a ‘thank you’ for the employers’ work in designing and implementing new apprenticeship standards.

Skills and Equalities Minister, Nick Boles, MP (above) said: This week is a time to celebrate the employers, young people and adults from across the country that are making apprenticeships such a success.”