National campaign gears up to boost female uptake in apprenticeships
More young women are being encouraged to take up apprenticeships to support the launch of a nationwide campaign.
To kick-start Scottish Apprenticeship Week (2-6 March), Minister for Higher and Further Education, Ben Macpherson met with Arnold Clark apprentices in Edinburgh, including mechanics Zoe Stewart and Jody Nisbet, who were recruited through the car retailer’s Girls with Skills programme.
Since Arnold Clark launched Girls with Skills in 2019, the Scottish family-run firm has recruited 43 young women through the programme, which offers first-hand experience of an apprenticeship to young women interested in a career with the automotive industry.
The Girls with Skills 2026 programme kicked off in February, welcoming 28 participants across its GTG Glasgow and GTG Edinburgh sites. The programme provides hands-on experience within an automotive environment, giving the girls valuable insight into the industry and helping them develop practical skills and confidence.
As well as this, participants who successfully complete the programme will be offered the opportunity to begin an apprenticeship with Arnold Clark in September.
Latest figures show that 40 per cent of 25,507 Scots that started a Modern Apprenticeship in the last year were female, which is a year-on-year increase.
"Girls with Skills reminds us that opportunity matters. By giving young women the chance to explore new roles, learn on the job and challenge themselves, we can help to build their careers – while also strengthening the future of our industry."
Lynne McBurney, Arnold Clark Group People Director
Scottish Apprenticeship Week, co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, aims to shine a spotlight on the power of apprenticeships to create careers, build businesses, grow the workforce and get real returns for the economy.
There are currently around 12,000 apprentice employers in Scotland, investing in over 40,000 Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprentices.
Through this year’s theme: Working for Scotland, the campaign will demonstrate how Scottish Apprenticeships are critical to help grow and expand the nation’s workforce – giving people skills to thrive.
Higher and Further Education Minister Ben Macpherson said: "Scottish Apprenticeship Week is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contributions that apprentices make to many businesses and communities right across Scotland, and to our economy as a whole.
“Apprenticeships play a really important role in our society, providing people with pathways into rewarding careers and employers with the skilled workforce they need now and in the future.
“With International Women’s Day approaching, this feels like the perfect moment to reflect on how much more we can achieve when we invest in women’s potential. When women thrive, we all rise – and that is why initiatives like Girls with Skills matter so much.
“We are encouraged to see more women choosing apprenticeships, but there is more to do, and I would encourage every young woman in Scotland to consider whether an apprenticeship could be the right path for them.”
Modern Apprentices' completion rates are at an all-time high and completion rates for females are also high at 82 per cent, while 9 in 10 of female completers are still working for the same employer they started with three months after completion.
Mechanic Zoe, who is 18 and from Newbridge, is currently on the second year of her Modern Apprenticeship with Arnold Clark. Zoe said: “I’ve always been in to cars and I did some work experience in a garage and so was really interested in Girls with Skills when I saw it and signed up for it.
“My grandad has his own plant hire business and my uncle is a mechanic, and my family have lived around stock cars our whole life, so that definitely inspired my interest in a career around cars.
Zoe, who has a Ford Fiesta race car to she tinkers with in her spare time, started her apprenticeship last September. She said: “I like learning about the electric vehicle side, the amount of safety involved and the tools. I love engine work, gear box repairs, and the bigger jobs. The apprenticeship has given me more than I expected, including experiences like a trip to the Scottish Parliament.
Zoe added: “I’m fully behind Girls with Skills as it’s such an amazing programme to help young women want to achieve. When I was a wee girl I was put off about a career as a mechanic, but by having that community about me in the programme, I knew I could do it, and I hope I can inspire another girl to go for it and take an apprenticeship in automotive.”
“At a time when employers are seeing skill shortages all over the country, apprenticeships have never been so important than they are now.”
Frank Mitchell, Chair, Skills Development Scotland
Arnold Clark currently employs 585 apprentices across Scotland – and has launched its apprenticeship recruitment drive, which aims to recruit up to 190 more apprentices this year, to coincide with Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
Arnold Clark Group People Director, Lynne McBurney, said: ‘Girls with Skills reminds us that opportunity matters. By giving young women the chance to explore new roles, learn on the job and challenge themselves, we can help to build their careers – while also strengthening the future of our industry.’
Skills Development Scotland Chair, Frank Mitchell said: “People from all backgrounds are gaining meaningful career opportunities through apprenticeships, creating diverse workforces that benefits business and our society.
“Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows how apprenticeships are working for Scotland, providing real returns for employers, individuals and the economy.
“Apprenticeships are in demand by both employers and apprentices, with major competition for every role in Scotland.
“At a time when employers are seeing skill shortages all over the country, apprenticeships have never been so important than they are now.”