A SCOTTISH university will provide more than 100 new graduate apprenticeships as part of a major collaboration with Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
The University of Dundee’s 110 places will allow the apprentices to combine their tuition at the institution with work at an organisation in their relevant sector of study.
Qualifications in business, engineering, IT and software will be available.
Having teamed up with SDS in 2017, Kirsty Scott, industrial liaison officer at Dundee, said: “Graduate apprenticeships are making huge contributions to employers by retaining staff and skills in the local economy. By unveiling our largest number of graduate apprenticeships to date, we at the University of Dundee are illustrating our commitment to our local community and helping more people fulfil their career ambitions.
“We know there is a demand for this type and level of learning and this announcement is great news for employees, businesses, and the local economy.”
The apprenticeships combine work-based learning with ongoing education – so employers can develop the skills of an existing employee, and new staff members are able to learn while on the job.
Ahead of the launch of the application process, Dr Karen Petrie, associate dean for learning and teaching at Dundee’s School of Science and Engineering, said that by working with dozens of employers in the area, the university would be helping to “upskill the local workforce”.
She continued, adding that the institution would be “providing companies with staff that are capable of taking their business to the next level.”
Director of service, design and innovation at Skills Development Scotland Jonathan Clark added the organisation will “continue to develop subjects that focus on a range of sectors where there is a need for highly skilled jobs”.
This latest announcement will see the University of Dundee offer places on five courses from September, including business management, engineering, civil engineering, IT management for business and software development.
The growth of graduate apprenticeships supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to create 30,000 apprenticeship jobs a year by 2020.
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