Foundation Apprenticeships offer vital experience that stands up in the real world

SCHOOLS across the country are taking advantage of the many benefits offered by Foundation Apprenticeships,  with young people gaining invaluable experience learning from local employers.

Chosen as a subject in senior phase, Foundation Apprenticeships at SCQF Level 6 give pupils time with a learning provider – such as a college – and industry experience that leads directly to a qualification at the same level as a Higher.

Inveralmond Community High School in West Lothian has developed its offer of Foundation Apprenticeships and delivers some of the work-based learning within the school.

Headteacher Suzanne Young said: “As a school community, our vision is that we work together to achieve to the very best of our abilities, connect to the world around us and thrive now and in the future – and that is why Foundation Apprenticeships play such a vital role in our curriculum.

“The industry experience and knowledge that young people gain from working alongside employers is invaluable. They see the context of what they are learning, so that is it real, vibrant and meaningful, which helps motivate them.”

According to Catrina Hatch, Interim Head of Education (Secondary) at West Lothian Council, offering Foundation Apprenticeships has led to improved outcomes for young people who then contribute positively to the local economy after leaving secondary school.

Catriona said: “Many young people progress to Modern Apprenticeships with our local business partners, or with West Lothian Council itself, and others have used the qualification and experience to support university applications.”
Foundation Apprenticeships are helping young people in East Dunbartonshire progress on to employment too – and the Council also employs those with the qualification through apprenticeships.

Headteacher Suzanne also says Foundation Apprenticeships have opened up countless different pathways for pupils, adding: “The option to earn money at the same time as learning, through Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, really breaks down barriers.”

Depute Head at Inveralmond, Keith Varty, believes Foundation Apprenticeships are an excellent way to value all learners in a way that traditional models did not always do.

He said: “Foundation Apprenticeships are assessed on an ongoing basis, so pupils know they can succeed. 

“That ownership of their learning gets them thinking about what they want to do when they leave school.”

Like Inveralmond, Kirkintilloch High School in East Dunbartonshire has also developed Foundation Apprenticeships to embed them into the curriculum, creating a school hub to deliver work-based learning.

According to headteacher Maureen Daniel, the benefits speak for themselves, as pupils are more engaged, less likely to leave school early and better prepared for the world of work. Maureen explained: “The longer we keep our children in school for senior phase, the better the employability outcome for them.

“Foundation Apprenticeships offer pupils professional hands-on experience and a really meaningful qualification that is skills based, either for those who wish to continue in education or directly into the workplace once they leave secondary school.”

Kirkintilloch High depute head Pam Davie also sees the benefits of the Foundation Apprenticeship model. She said: “The emphasis is on the holistic skills of each young person, not just how they perform in an exam.

“It’s about developing real life skills, and the confidence to articulate them, alongside academic qualifications like Highers and National 5s.

“The benefit to our pupils is immeasurable, they are more confident, more focused, and the Foundation Apprenticeships have also contributed to the fact that more than 98 per cent of our pupils went on to positive destinations last summer.”

Foundation Apprenticeships have also been making an impact in Glasgow. Linda Hamilton, headteacher at Springburn Academy, has embraced Foundation Apprenticeships and seen the advantage they can give to pupils, alongside traditional qualifications such as Highers.

The headteacher says the key attraction is that students choose a Foundation Apprenticeship based on what they are interested in pursuing, rather than the more traditional method of choosing a subject because they think they can get a good grade, regardless of whether they enjoy it. 

Linda explained: “The biggest opportunity is that it gives senior pupils the chance to experience a wealth of different things linked into their skills and aspirations and what they believe their career pathway is going to be. The most important thing is that it fits in with what their ambitions are, it is an excellent pathway.”

For more information about Foundation Apprenticeships visit apprenticeships.scot

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Support will help Tanya achieve her goal of teaching  

A COMPUTER science graduate has explained how a STEM Bursary aimed at career changers has helped her to pursue her career goal of becoming a teacher.

Tanya Howden was managing a digital programme for Heart of Midlothian Football Club when she realised she wanted to become a teacher   – and now she’s on course to reach that goal, all thanks to the bursary.

The STEM Bursary scheme encourages  people to train as secondary school teachers in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computing Science, Technological Education and Home Economics.

Administered by Skills Development Scotland, the scheme reopened for applications this week.

After enjoying a successful period as Digital Education Programme Manager for the Innovation Centre at Hearts FC, Tanya, who lives in Edinburgh, realised that she wanted to become a full-time Computer Science teacher at High School level.

She said: “Through working with schools and seeing the impact we were having at the Innovation Centre made me realise that now was the right time to take a step into teaching.

“But without the bursary it would’ve been a much different story. It’s much harder to imagine stopping a full-time salary once you’ve become used to having one and then go back to being a student again.

“There’s a lot of academic work that needs be completed within the one year, so it would have been much more challenging balancing that with working part-time. 

“When we are on school placement, it’s a case of all hands on deck on the teaching side. 

“The bursary has taken a massive worry off my shoulders.”
Tanya’s journey started at Heriot-Watt University where she studied Computer Science and then eventually took her a few miles across Edinburgh to Gorgie and Heart of Midlothian Football Club.

Tanya added: “Teaching had always been something that I’d thought of, but I guess I was never fully ready to commit to it at that point.

“So I spent some time doing research as a postgraduate for about a year and then I fell into the education field without being a teacher.

“I started working for a start-up company in Edinburgh called Robotical, who make little robots called Marty that teach young people how to code. 

“Much of my role there involved creating resources for classes and then working with teachers in order to be able to introduce robots to young people.

“Through volunteering with Heart of Midlothian FC, we managed to run a Robotics Club for young people.

“The club had set up an Innovation Centre, which is an add-on to the community work the club do focusing on providing free digital education clubs for young people and families in the area to get hands on with technology.

“We had over 500 kids sign up to join in with some of the activities and workshops we were running during the first lockdown which was incredible.

“All of those experiences spurred me on to want to see what life would be like as a teacher and I’m progressing on that front thanks to the help of the STEM Bursary.”

To find out more, visit stembursaryscotland.co.uk