The Scottish government has announced plans to expand graduate level apprenticeships following a pilot scheme last year.

A total of 379 places would be made available for the scheme, the government said this morning, which would see apprentices study for a degree up to master’s level while in work. The scheme aims to meet the needs of employers looking for high levels of academic and industry accreditation combined with experience in the workplace, and involves a pilot of 27 places which took place this year.

The right skills for employment

Scotland’s minister for employability and training, Jamie Hepburn, said: “By creating the opportunity to combine an academic degree with the challenges of the workplace, we are better preparing individuals for the job market and ensuring we match the right skills and training to available employment.

“These new opportunities will support our wider modern apprenticeship offering, including the commitment to 30,000 apprenticeships per year by 2020, complementing the 5,000 foundation apprenticeship places for school pupils.”

The move comes amid similar initiatives to expand apprenticeships which include degree-level study in England, where degree apprenticeships were rolled out in 2015.

According to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, there are currently around 1,000 active degree apprentices, and the organisation is currently working to deliver new degree apprenticeships from September. This included funding institutions to develop degree apprenticeships and engaging with relevant stakeholders at a strategic level to confirm quality arrangements, as part of the government’s pledge to deliver 3 million apprenticeships by 2020. 

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