THE latest annual Modern Apprenticeship (MA) statistics, released by Skills Development Scotland, show that more young Scots are choosing apprenticeships and achieving higher level skills to support them, employers and the economy.

The figures show that 59.7% (15,131) of 25,365 MA starts were aged 16 to 24 years old, the majority of which were 16 to 19 year-olds (10,130). 

The 3% year on year increase on 16 to 19 year-olds taking an apprenticeship indicates that young people have a more positive view of apprenticeships as a career choice on leaving education.

Nearly half (47.8%) of those taking an apprenticeship in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related frameworks were in this youngest age group. 

This supported the overall year on year increase in uptake of MAs at higher levels, with eight in ten people (82.9%) learning skills at SCQF level 6 or 
above.

Specialist engineering firm, Score Group found a solution to ensuring it could equip school leavers with the maths skills needed for its engineering apprenticeships.

The company, with 950 employees across Scotland, decided to work with schools around its headquarters in Peterhead and set up maths clubs to help potential apprentices build the numeracy skills they needed for the job. 

Leighton Willox, Score’s head of training, explained: “We identified maths as a barrier for recruiting new talent. People were applying for apprenticeships without the qualifications that our college learning provider partners are looking for.” 

The company’s first job was to explain to young people with mobile phones and calculators why they needed to do hard sums.  

Leighton said: “Our engineers can go in and explain exactly why you need maths by taking real life examples into the classroom.” 

By doing so, this has helped Score to recruit the large numbers of apprentices they need every year. At the moment, the company has 130 Modern Apprentices across four sites - 110 working on technical disciplines and 20 in business support roles. There are also 12 Graduate Apprentices.  

Together, the apprentices make up almost 15% of the workforce at Score. 
With a shortage of the technical skills Score needs within the labour market, it makes sense to train its own talent. 

Leighton said: “We are largely in the market for valve technicians and machinists. There are not a lot of valve specialists out there. There are more machinists but they are highly prized and more difficult to come by.”

Score’s Modern Apprentices spend a year in the classroom before starting on site. 

Leighton explained: “We have a lot of faith in that first year of off-the-job training. 
“Apprentices start in the training workshop, bench fitting, machining, and learning to use hand tools. They learn how to operate in a workshop before they move into a work environment. We see this as absolutely critical.

“We have had a lot of success in taking our own engineers through Modern Apprenticeships, making sure we develop our workforce to deliver the highly skilled and specialised roles we need.” 

The latest Modern Apprenticeship figures from Skills Development Scotland also help to reinforce that apprenticeships are accessible for people from diverse backgrounds, with MA uptake at the highest ever levels from those who identified as being care experienced (2.3%), disabled (17%) and from an ethnic minority (4.5%). Achievement rates for these groups also increased year on year.

In addition, 23.5% of MA starts resided in the 20% most deprived areas, compared to 13.8% from the 20% least deprived areas.

Chair of Skills Development Scotland, Frank Mitchell said: “Modern Apprenticeships provide young people with a fantastic opportunity to kick-start their career and earn while they learn, set against a backdrop of cost of living pressure and a focus on creating a workforce fit for the future.

“Through apprenticeships, Scotland is producing a generation of talented and skilled people that can support the needs of employers and the economy. 

“More than 38,000 people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds are accessing high-quality jobs and transforming their lives through Modern Apprenticeships.    

“It is very clear that apprenticeships play a vital role in meeting economic, environmental and health and wellbeing challenges and opportunities, helping Scotland to become a fairer, more equal society.”  

Visit apprenticeships.scot for more information about taking on an apprentice