As part of Scottish Apprenticeship week, Central Scotland SNP MSP Clare Adamson visited Bellshill based Edge Testing Solutions. During the visit Ms Adamson met with the Modern Apprentices and learned about the work they do. The group are Edge Testing’s second intake of Modern Apprentices and they talked about their experiences as apprentices including the six week ‘fast-track’ Edge Academy, which forms part of the overall training programme. The programme comprises classroom and real world hands-on training, together with on-going mentoring over a two year period.
The Scottish Government has grown the Modern Apprenticeship programme from 15,000 starts in 2007 to more than 25,000 new places each year for the past three years. The opportunities span the Scottish economy, from sectors with a long tradition of training apprentices, such as construction and engineering, to growth in newer sectors for apprenticeships, such as financial services. We are now committed to increasing the target to at least 30,000 new modern apprenticeship opportunities each year by 2020.
In partnership with local authorities, the Government have embarked on the implementation of an ambitious strategy to reduce youth unemployment by 40 per cent by 2021
Speaking after the visit, Ms Adamson said:
“Modern apprenticeships are vital to our ambitions to offer young people the opportunity to gain the skills that they need to take up rewarding and fulfilling jobs. It was my pleasure to visit Edge Testing Solutions today and see the scheme working at its very best. I believe these apprentices have a very bright future ahead of them, and I wish them the very best.
2015-05-25