Chamber of Commerce Expert view of life for It doesn’t have to be university business after Brexit
Let’s face it: university isn’t for everyone. And it shouldn’t be either.
West Lothian needs our young people to have the full range of skills that will be required to grow our economy in the future and West Lothian College is committed to ensure the future workforce is ready to meet future needs.
The college has worked in collaboration with Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Government to develop a vocational skills pipeline, which provides an “equal but different”path to graduate-level achievement.
Three stages are involved. Foundation apprentices typically start at 15 years old. They come to college one day a week instead of going to school, typically starting in S5 on a two-year programme. The programme is 50 per cent in college and 50 per cent in work placement. We teach a range of skills across the care professions, engineering and construction and scientific and food technologies. The placements are of the highest quality and the hope always is that the placement will lead to a job offer as a modern apprentice.
Modern apprentices are employed and paid. They come to college as part of their apprenticeship and gain the skills they need to be fully qualified over a two to three-year period.
Some modern apprentices go on to be graduate apprentices. These smart cookies have taken full advantage of the Earn as you Learn pathway and have qualifications which are fully the equivalent of any degree.
97 per cent of West Lothian College learners go on to a positive destination at the end of their studies and overwhelmingly enjoy and value their experience at the college.
Daniel Evans, centre head at the college, said:“Coming to college is a brilliant alternative to other options. Students get to learn by doing and are treated as adults here.
“We really care about what happens to them and will always do our very best to ensure they succeed and go on to be successful.”
If you or someone you know is progressing to S5 this year encourage them to get in touch through our website to see about a place on one of our foundation apprenticeship courses. In August they could be well and truly on the road to a rewarding and fulfilling livelihood.
For details contact Sandra Hubbard on 01506 427543 or shubbard@west-lothian. ac.uk.
West Lothian Chamber of Commerce were delighted to host our Brexit Breakfast: An Expert’s Insight on June 7 at Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club.
The event was a huge success and welcomed businesses from a variety of sectors from across Scotland as well as our local authority to hear from our key speaker John McGrane, director general of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce.
John has over 40 years of experience within the financial services sector and is a highly sought-after keynote speaker across Ireland, the UK and the world.
His extensive knowledge of Brexit allowed businesses at the event to get an informed insight as well as an all-access pass to his expertise and experience ahead of March 2019.
His reactive approach allowed our attendees to discuss key Brexit issues with him during his speech while he addressed the vital steps business must take to be prepared for Brexit as well as the opportunities available for doing business in Ireland.
John said Ireland offers Scottish companies a fantastic opportunity to explore a growing national market, rich in diverse needs ahead of Brexit. He commented that they “recognise that companies in Ireland and Scotland are challenged by the lack of clarity and uncertainly posed by the current Brexit negotiations” and stated that “while we cannot offer any definite answers to this challenge we do encourage companies in both countries to take steps to prepare for March 29, 2019”.
We were also joined by a panel of experts: Lynne Anderson, associate director of treasury solutions at Clydesdale Bank; Iain Masterton, VAT director at Chiene + Tait; and Stuart McWilliams, immigration specialist lawyer at Morton Fraser.
They expressed their thoughts ahead of Brexit and they will each be hosting a workshop focusing on their field. The topics will include currency, VAT and indirect tax and immigration laws.
These workshops will take place from September to November and more information can be found on www.wlchamber.com/events.
Linda Scott, chief executive of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce, said: “The feedback from our businesses was extremely positive and has allowed us to identify that further support for Scottish businesses is essential.
“In the future the chamber plan to continue raising awareness of the topics that must be addressed ahead of March 2019.
“We encourage all businesses to seek any support available ahead of Brexit and hope to assist in better preparing them for the potential outcomes in 2019.”