More than 25,000 new Modern Apprenticeships were created by Scotland’s employers in the past year – surpassing the Scottish Government’s ambition and helping apprenticeship job creation move even closer to the country’s pre-pandemic levels

New statistics from Scotland’s skills agency, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), show that there were 25,447 Modern Apprenticeship starts in Scotland from April 2022 to March 2023.

Modern Apprenticeships starts are now at 91% of pre-pandemic levels, showing employer demand for critical skills.  The figures also show that the number of apprentices in-training across the country is at the highest ever level, at around 39,000.
Minister for Higher and Further Education Graeme Dey MSP met apprentices from a range of employers including Balfour Beatty, Leonardo, and Scottish Water who were speaking to young people about the benefits of apprenticeships at the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) event ‘Youth Without Limits Live: Beyond the CV’ at Dynamic Earth in the capital.

Mr Dey said: “Apprenticeships are vital for people to develop their skills and for employers to invest in their workforce for the future. 
“Supporting skills development across people’s lifetimes is critical to our future productivity and success, underlining our commitment to a skilled workforce set out within the National Strategy for Economic Transformation. Our priority is for high quality apprenticeships that provide sustainable jobs and careers, supporting our transition to net zero.”

Chair of Skills Development Scotland, Frank Mitchell, said: “The number of apprenticeships supported by employers show that they are a critical way of developing much-needed skills and sustainable jobs across all parts of Scotland supporting a wellbeing economy. 
“These apprenticeships have been taken up by individuals from across society, including many young people traditionally with limited prospects to progress who have gone onto flourish in the workplace.
“These are real jobs backed by employers who contribute £10 for every £1 spent by government, and at the same time apprentices contribute by paying their taxes.”
Hector MacAulay MBE, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland said: “At Balfour Beatty, we are committed to attracting the next generation of talent and inspiring young people across Scotland to consider a career in the construction and infrastructure industry. 
“That is why we were delighted to join with Skills Development Scotland at the Duke of Edinburgh event today to further showcase the wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available across Balfour Beatty – opportunities that will provide young people with the skills and knowledge they need to kickstart lifelong, rewarding careers in our industry.” 

Of those individuals starting an apprenticeship over the last year, the majority (81%) were taking qualifications at higher levels of SCQF Level 6 or above, which is a year-on-year increase and supports the Scottish Government’s drive to create high quality opportunities.
The percentage share of individuals who started a Modern Apprenticeship and declared as having a disability, care experienced or coming from an ethnic minority community also rose.  The largest share of starts – 24% – were individuals from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. 

The Herald:

Construction had the highest number of starts (6,623) followed by the Sport, Health and Social Care grouping (5,749). The IT & Other Services group had the third highest number of starts overall (3,258) and the largest annual increase (+16.4%).
Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) of all starts were in growth/key sector-related groups and Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) frameworks accounted for almost half (47.0%) of starts, which is an increase on last year and also compared to pre-COVID percentage share.

Looking ahead, Scottish Government has continued its commitment to apprenticeships with an ambition to deliver up to 25,500 Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2023/24. High quality apprenticeship opportunities have been a mission for the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB), which is an independent, industry-led body which ensures apprenticeships are demand-led, fit for purpose and future orientated.

As the voice of industry on Scottish Apprenticeships, SAAB is made up of leading employers and representatives from industry bodies across a range of organisations such as Scottish Water, Balfour Beatty, JP Morgan, Lantra, Robertson Construction, Doosan Babcock, Microsoft, Scottish Power, Sainsburys and Scottish Building Federation.
Chair of SAAB’s Employer Engagement Group and General Manager for Learning, Talent and Resourcing at Scottish Water, Paul Campbell said:“Scotland is being held back from achieving our incredible potential because of skills shortages created by an imbalance in our skills and education system.  This is creating a mismatch between the skills our employers and our economy need and what is available. Ultimately, this results in a war for talent, spiralling costs for employers and increasing prices for goods and services.

“Apprenticeships are crucial to Scotland’s future success. Learners gain real industry experience alongside earning a wage; employers get the skills they need now and for their succession planning; and with businesses boosting productivity and apprentices paying tax through wages without accumulating student debt or leaning on public funds, it’s also a winner for the Scottish economy. 
“As the only independent, authentic voice of employers on apprenticeships in Scotland, our members – industry leaders from across all businesses of all sectors and sizes – see the benefits of ‘growing our own’ talent every day. Employers are crying out for even more apprenticeships, and across a broader range of disciplines.  SAAB’s vision is to have world-class, employer-led apprenticeships which are highly valued and open to all, helping to build a fairer, wealthier and greener Scotland.”