Scottish Apprenticeships Powered by Potential

Potential powering Scotland

Scottish Apprenticeships are powered by potential - helping people build rewarding careers, enabling employers to develop the talent they need and supporting a thriving economy.

Across the country, around 12,000 employers are investing in more than 40,000 Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprentices, recognising the value Scottish Apprenticeships bring in developing the skills and talent needed to succeed.

The majority of Modern Apprenticeships are in Scotland's growth sectors, helping employers develop the workforce they need while creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to build rewarding careers.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week will showcase these successes and highlight the vital role of apprenticeships across Scotland.

The campaign, coordinated by Skills Development Scotland and supported by Scottish Government and partners across the country, will feature activities and events showcasing the impact apprenticeships have on people, businesses and communities.

Celebrating Scotland's apprenticeship success stories

To launch the campaign, Skills Development Scotland has opened nominations for the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of apprentices, employers and learning providers across the country.

Now celebrating 25 years of recognising apprenticeship success, the awards showcase the individuals and organisations helping unlock Scotland's potential through work-based learning.

Entries close at 5pm on Friday 9 October and can be submitted via the awards webpage.

Winners will be revealed at a live ceremony on Friday 26 February, hosted at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow as the launch event for Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

Powering opportunity and economic growth

Tertiary Education Minister, Alyn Smith, said: “Apprenticeships are at the heart of my ambition to upskill Scotland and get us future fit. The Scottish Apprenticeship Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the quality of Scotland’s apprentices and apprenticeships. Apprentices bring ambition, talent and potential to employers, and employers invest in their apprentices to equip them with the skills they need to succeed.

“Apprenticeships provide valuable opportunities for people to enter and make progress in employment, which is why we are committed to funding 150,000 apprenticeship opportunities over this parliament. We are providing just under £200 million per year to support Modern, Graduate, and Foundation Apprenticeships in Scotland. I’m looking forward to working with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to grow and strengthen the programme and create new opportunities for learners in future years.

“I look forward to hearing the stories of the winners and I wish nominees the absolute best of luck.”