What are you waiting for?

If you are eager to gain practical industry experience while still in school, you might want to consider a Foundation Apprenticeship. You can combine your education with work experience while still in your fifth or sixth year. You’ll study for a foundation apprenticeship

Foundation Apprenticeship

alongside your National 5s and Highers (equivalent to GCSEs and AS-levels), which means you will leave school with a well-rounded and valuable skillset. Usually beginning in S5 and going over two years, you will take time out from the classroom to move into the workplace you progress towards an SCQF-recognised qualification.

With a Graduate Apprenticeship, you can gain full-time industry experience and a salary to jumpstart your career while you pursue your degree. You’ll divide your time between working and attending college or university to study. You must be at least 16 years old and legally able to work in the UK in order to apply. As a GA candidate, you’ll be an employee of the company you’re working for, spending on average one day a week at university or college. Your costs will be funded by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for the duration of your course at no cost to the employer.

The majority of graduate apprenticeships have entry requirements akin to those of a bachelor’s degree, but they also take into account other learning routes. It would be ideal if you have completed a Foundation Apprenticeship. There are 14 types of GA in a variety of subjects, from civil engineering to cyber security.

How do you find the right apprenticeship for you? . You can speak to a school careers adviser about the

Young people in care

range of Foundation Apprenticeships available to start this term. Information about Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships is available on www. apprenticeships.scot. There is a live vacancy search to find and apply for hundreds of Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships available across Scotland. Alternatively, you can make an appointment with an advisor at the Oban, Fort William or Campbeltown Careers Centres. Call 0800 917 8000 to find out more. And for

Access to Work

There are 12 available Foundation Apprenticeship subjects to choose from at SCQF level 6, and another 3 at SCQF level 4 / 5. FAs are offered in15 subjects, from accountancy and business skills to scientific technologies and construction.

For young people who have experienced life in care it can often be tough to make the transition into the world of work. Skills Development Scotland is part of a group of 24 public bodies deemed as ‘corporate parents’ under The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, with a series of statutory duties aimed at supporting these youngsters and helping them meet their potential.

Support is available for anyone who needs it, regardless of your background and abilities. Those with disabilities or learning difficulties may be eligible for additional support, such as Access to Work, which can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.

information about funding, visit the Student Awards Agency Scotland website at www.saas. gov.uk.