Extra 500 apprenticeships to be funded thanks to £3.8m investment

The funding will also be used to create more opportunities for young people still at school through work-based foundation apprenticeships.

The aim is to provide industry-recognised qualifications and first-hand insight into the world of work for senior secondary pupils, according to the Scottish Government.

Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement as she met female apprentice mechanics at GTG Training, owned by Arnold Clark, which has seen 160 apprentices starting this year – of whom 31 are female.

She said: “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.”

The 500 places, announced to mark the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, are the first step to expanding government agency Skills Development Scotland’s current apprentice programme from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020.

Sturgeon also said she wanted to make sure the opportunities were open to everyone.

She said: “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.

“I want our young women, as well as our young men, to be inspired and supported to achieve whatever they want in life.”

To celebrate this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week, Ayrshire College revealed that it has trained 1,000 apprentices, employed in more than 500 companies, in the past two years. A further 300 apprentices will start their training with the college in 2015-16.

The Scottish Government has a target of creating 25,000 new apprenticeship places each year, with an ambition for this to reach 30,000 a year by 2020. Ayrshire College is helping to make this goal a reality for the benefit of local people and businesses.

Chairman of the college Willie Mackie said: “Modern apprentices add real value to businesses, young people and Ayrshire’s economy. The skills developed through work-based learning are valued by employers and by young people looking to get the best possible start in their careers. Ayrshire College is a major provider of apprenticeships and I am delighted that, just 20 months after the college was created, we had trained 1,000 apprentices. ”

Stuart Cree, education contracts manager at the college, said: “Ayrshire College delivers apprenticeships in a wide range of industry sectors and I’m delighted that this year we’ll be offering creative, fashion and textiles and horticulture apprenticeships. We offer a very flexible range of delivery methods to tailor apprenticeships for each individual and employer.”

Douglas Bowie, fleet operations manager at Billy Bowie Tankers in Kilmarnock, one of Ayrshire’s biggest employers, revealed how they got apprentice Jack Lynes, 19, on board.

He said: “We had a skills gap and thought why not give apprentices a chance by bringing them in and letting them grow.

“After Jack approached us at a jobs fair, we spoke to Ayrshire College and East Ayrshire Council, and between us we put together a package to offer him a job.

“The relationship with the college is great. Some of the things Jack has learned at college exceeds what we need in here. He’s learning the background behind what he’s doing and growing with the job. He’s definitely come on leaps and bounds."

ONE big success story is apprentice Jack Lynes, who is evidence that modern apprenticeships help build the futures of the country’s young people.

The 19-year-old, from Stewarton, Ayrshire, started as an apprentice HGV fitter with one of Scotland’s most successful businessmen, Billy Bowie, who runs a multi-million-pound tanker services firm, back in August 2014. He is now in his final year.

Jack is one of Ayrshire College’s 1,000 apprentices employed in more than 500 companies over the past two years ago and is studying Level 2 Car Mechanics (Heavy) on day release while working at the Ayrshire firm.

He said: “Going through secondary school, I always knew I wanted to work with my hands.

"An apprenticeship is right for me because it’s the right mix between learning at college and getting workplace experience, where you learn that things can go wrong and jobs can take longer. It’s definitely right for me.”

Jack added: “I think going through the apprenticeship route to reach your goal further on in life is the best way to do it. You’re getting the papers behind you going to college, but you’re getting the values of being in the workplace."

While attending Stewarton Academy, Jack knew he wanted to work with his hands because he wasn’t the kind of person who could sit behind a desk and write all day.

He took the apprenticeship with Billy Bowie by chance when he went to a jobs fair at the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock and “just got talking” to a couple of representatives from the firm and before he knew it he had landed an interview and a work placement.