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Apprenticeships are changing and there are more ways to learn while you earn, says Carla Fox

IT’S not surprising that an increasing number of young people are choosing apprenticeships to get a head start in their career.

Modern Apprenticeships are jobs, but offer the bonus of being able to work while learning and earning industry recognised qualifications.

Each year in Scotland there are more than 25,500 Modern Apprenticeships supported by around 14,000 employers. There are more than 80 different types, covering hundreds of different jobs in areas as diverse as financial services, engineering, and creative industries.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is an annual campaign to showcase how apprenticeships work for businesses, individuals, and the economy. This year the campaign, from March 6 to 10, takes the theme “Apprenticeships are Changing”.

Organised by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scottish Apprenticeship Week highlights the commitment of businesses who have decided to invest in the skills of their workforce. It also showcases the successes of apprentices who have chosen to get a job, get paid and get qualified to develop their careers. It also lets people know about the diversity of new apprenticeship programmes.

For instance, New Foundation Apprenticeships mean young people can now start an apprenticeship at school. Pupils in S5 can complete elements of a Modern Apprenticeship alongside their other studies, such as Highers or Advanced Highers. While Gradu- ate Level Apprenticeships provide work-based learning opportunities up to Masters Degree level.

There’s a dedicated website at www.apprenticeships.scot to make it even easier to find an apprenticeship and to advertise apprenticeship jobs. It has full details of this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week events.