A DRIVE FOR LEARNING IS KEY FOR ZAKIR Zakir has always known that practical work is important
Zakir Naeem is carving himself a career as a civil engineer and knows that choosing to study a Foundation Apprenticeship is a step in the right direction.
The 17-year-old St Ninian’s High School pupil has previously considered a career in mechanical engineering but the more he learned about that field in his first year of the Foundation Apprenticeship, the more he leaned towards civil engineering.
Now, in his second year Zakir combines studying at school and Glasgow Kelvin College alongside gaining practical work experience working with Network Rail.
And one of the projects Zakir is enjoying is seeing first hand the regeneration of Queen Street Station in Glasgow.
“I am really enjoying the practical side of the Foundation Apprenticeship,” said Zakir.
“At the moment the projects include the work being done at Queen Street Station and you get the chance to see first hand something taking shape, it’s not all about railway lines and trains, I feel very lucky to have this opportunity.”
Foundation Apprenticeships are open to pupils in S5 and S6 at secondary school, and combine college-style learning with a significant work placement.
Pupils can opt to take the apprenticeship as one of their subject choices, resulting in a qualification at the same level as a Higher at the end of two years. Zakir always knew that a subject with practical experience would be ideal for him.
He went on: “I enjoy school and my teachers are great but I also enjoy being focused on one particular subject at college and getting out of the classroom too.
“I would recommend the Foundation Apprenticeship subject choice to anyone considering a career path to get to where they want to.
“I have always known that some form of engineering was right for me and this apprenticeship has made me realise that civil engineering is definitely the right career choice.
“Ideally I would now like to go on to take a Graduate Apprenticeship and if not I will go to university. There are a lot of options open to me now, thanks to the Foundation Apprenticeship.”
Find out which Foundation Apprenticeships are available in your area, go to Foundation Apprenticeships offer work-based learning and qualifications helping pupils to gain skills employers want. ACCOUNTANCY You could be working in jobs such as: actuary, management accountant, insurance broker, insurance risk surveyor, economist, investment analyst and investment banker. BUSINESS SKILLS This could lead to jobs like: administrative assistant, purchasing manager, management consultant, company secretary, human resources officer, local government officer, receptionist and project manager.
CIVIL ENGINEERING The industry’s workforce is ageing and there is a demand for new, young engineers to fill the skills gap across a huge range of jobs, such as: civil engineer, civil engineering technician, quantity surveyor, town planner, structural engineer, construction manager and land surveyor.
CREATIVE AND DIGITAL MEDIA Scotland’s creative industry is thriving. Become a broadcast journalist, TV or film producer, lighting technician, fashion designer, graphic designer or photographer.
ENGINEERING There’s a huge demand for new engineers. Companies are projected to need 182,000 people with engineering skills each year to 2022 in the UK. You could become an aerospace engineer, chemical engineer, electrical engineer or mechanical engineer. FINANCIAL SERVICES You could take on a wide range of insurance roles, such as broker, underwriter, claims handler, loss adjuster or risk surveyor.
FOOD & DRINK TECHNOLOGIES
There is growing demand for skills across the whole sector, including food science, product development, nutrition and wellbeing, packaging, research, design and engineering. HARDWARE & SYSTEM SUPPORT More than 90,000 people work in digital technology roles in Scotland, and salaries are growing almost twice as fast as the average. Jobs include cyber security analyst, IT support technician, security administrator and network manager.
SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGIES
Jobs include biomedical scientist, biotechnologist, biochemist, laboratory technician, marine biologist and geoscientist, and salaries are on average 20 per cent more than those across other fields.
SOCIAL SERVICES: CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Look after young children as a nursery worker or child development officer. Organise fun activities that help young people build their self-esteem as a playworker. Give children and their families vital support as a social worker. SOCIAL SERVICES & HEALTHCARE Care for sick, injured or disabled people as an adult nurse or children’s nurse. Look after people at home or in residential homes as a care home manager, care assistant or residential support worker.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Gaming, virtual reality, cyber security, data management and programming – the digital world is changing fast. You could help decide where it goes next – and earn 30 per cent more than the Scottish average.