18/05/2015

£3.8m To Fund New Apprenticeships

A total of £3.8m has been earmarked to fund an additional 500 Modern Apprenticeships over the next year, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

The funding will be used to create more opportunities for young people still at school through work-based Foundation Apprenticeships for senior secondary pupils, which will provide industry recognised qualifications and first-hand insight into the world of work.

The 500 places is the first step to increasing Skills Development Scotland's current apprentice programme from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented: "It's vitally important that all of our young people in Scotland – no matter their background – have the opportunities available to get on in life.

"Apprenticeships not only offer our young people better job prospects – they also have a positive impact on businesses and industry, bringing value to employers and our economy.

"We have already seen youth unemployment reach its lowest level in seven years and with further investment in our young workforce - like these 500 apprenticeships - we can hope to see that continue to improve.

"I also want to make sure that these opportunities are open to everyone. Traditionally, some sectors have been dominated by men and women have felt that there are barriers to them entering.

"As we continue the expansion of our successful apprenticeship programmes we need to make sure that more young women are aware of the tremendous opportunities that an apprenticeship provides."

(JP)

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