According to new figures from Semta, record numbers of young scots are becoming Modern Apprentices. More than 1,000 school and college leavers, aged between 16 and 19, took up the positions to earn and learn and set out on a rewarding and engaging career path to help build a better more prosperous Scotland.
In addition, the overall number of engineering apprentices was up by over a quarter – with a rise of 28%. Engineering apprentice registrations rose from 1085 in 2011-12 to 1393 in the last 12 months – the second highest figure on record.
Sarah Sillars, OBE, CEO of Semta – the sector skills body overseeing science, engineering and manufacturing in Scotland and the rest of the UK – hailed the breakthrough as a meaningful moment on the country’s road to recovery.
“This is wonderful news!” said Sillars. “A real milestone on the road to recovery.
“The message is getting through that there are numerous opportunities in Scotland for capable candidates to embark on a really rewarding and stimulating journey to a world class qualification and top notch career.
“Many major companies, and those that supply them, are crying out for more young people to make the move and find out how to come on board.”
