A secondary headteacher has talked up Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) as offering “something for everyone”, on the day of a big funding announcement on apprenticeships
More than £100 million funding to support Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships in 2025-26 has been confirmed by education secretary Jenny Gilruth.
Contracts will now be issued by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to employers, training providers and colleges for Modern Apprenticeship starts and learning providers for Foundation Apprenticeship starts.
Ms Gilruth made the announcement following a visit to Glenrothes High School in Fife to mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
Apprenticeships ‘for everyone’
Avril McNeill, headteacher of Glenrothes High, said her school offered “a flexible package of traditional qualifications integrated with Foundation Apprenticeships. FAs on offer include childcare, legal services, and lab skills.
Ms McNeill said: “No matter what your chosen career path is, there is something for everyone.”
She added that FAs allowed young people to mix their school career with college and work experience, and to get a taste of a wider range of courses and careers.
Glenrothes High S6 student Demi Short said the experience of the childcare Foundation Apprenticeship had sparked her “love and passion” for that career path.
Jack Mellis, also in S6, who is undertaking a creative and digital Foundation Apprenticeship, said he had “no doubt” the skills he had learnt would allow him to get a job “in many different places”, such as marketing teams for companies, radio or movie studios, or even his own video-making company.
Earlier this week, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay made a call for students as young as 14 to be able to leave school if they could move into a college place or an apprenticeship.
However, secondary heads said they did not agree with lowering the school leaving age.
School Leaders Scotland said that young people should be encouraged to stay on in school beyond 16 and “helped and supported on their own individual learning pathway”, which could involve a mix of school, college and other suitable locations.
‘Key feature of Scotland’s education system’
The £102.5 million announced by the government today will be used by SDS to maintain the existing numbers of apprentices, which will be around 25,500 Modern Apprenticeship starts and around 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship starts. This adds to a further 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeships and around 1,200 Graduate Apprenticeships funded through the Scottish Funding Council.
Ms Gilruth said that around 400,000 apprenticeship opportunities had been provided to young people across the country since 2008; they would “continue to be a key feature of Scotland’s education and skills system going forward”.
She added: “Apprenticeships provide vital opportunities for young people to acquire key skills and a route into high-quality careers, helping the economy and creating sustainable jobs.
“Feedback from employers indicates that there are key skills gaps and we are aiming to focus investment on apprenticeships in sectors facing labour-market shortages.”
For the latest in Scottish education delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for Tes’ The Week in Scotland newsletter
