12 July 2019
Businesses encouraged to support expansion of Foundation Apprenticeships
Could your business benefit from an extra team member, or two, for half a day per week? Foundation Apprenticeships are just one of many avenues Aberdeenshire Council is committed to supporting to ensure young people leave school with the skills for learning, life and work.
The local authority is currently recruiting companies who specialise in computer science to benefit from the help of enthusiastic, up-and-coming apprentices in their final years at secondary school. There is no cost to organisations for hosting students and you'd benefit from the support of the same friendly individual(s), during term time from August to March.
But the general offer to partner up with schools doesn’t start and stop with computer science. Whether you’re keen to support a foundation apprentice in anything from childcare to engineering, or would prefer to step up on more of a purely mentoring basis, or can offer work placements or an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise, there’s an opportunity to be part of supporting emerging talent in your industry, in your area.
Aberdeenshire has partnered with Skills Development Scotland to offer hundreds of additional foundation apprenticeships this year. A link to our story: http://bit.ly/FAabshire
Laurence Findlay, Aberdeenshire’s Director of Education and Children’s Services explained: “The apprentices we'd like to match into companies specialising in computer science to support their Foundation Apprenticeship this year are all studying IT Software at the same level as Higher. During their theory work in school, they will cover app design, web design and software development.
“We’re keen to engage young people in the industries and professions they’re most interested in and the Foundation Apprenticeship is a great model for enabling us to do that. Offered over a longer period than say a work placement, it really gives employers a chance to make an impact in upskilling emerging talent.”
Aberdeenshire Council already partners hundreds of local businesses in a variety of ways and is committed to developing the quality and extent of these partnerships in the future. With over 2,000 S4 pupils given work experience each year there is no shortage of opportunities to play your part.
Aberdeenshire’s Education and Children’s Services Committee Chair, Cllr Gillian Owen commented: “When you see that spark that’s been created between a young person and a business mentor it all makes sense. It’s far beyond the more traditional approach whereby ‘Johnny got to see what it was like to go to work for a day’ and absolutely enlightening to find that not only has that business and that manager or individual had an impact on that young person’s aspirations and confidence, but the young person has usually been able to open their mentor’s eyes to something new as well.”
More information about opportunities for businesses to engage with Developing the Young Workforce in Aberdeenshire is available at: http://dywaberdeenshire.org/ If your company specialises in computer science and is read to see young talent emerging in your industry and reap the benefits now, please email Andrew Ritchie via andrew.ritchie@aberdeenshire.gov.uk to find out more.