Universities and colleges unite to help businesses prosper

The University has worked with six other universities and colleges to create a series of Scottish Apprenticeships Employer Events, aimed at encouraging employers to upskill new or existing staff and help their companies grow.

Running online from Monday 15 March to Friday 19 March, the online events will give employers the opportunity to find out more about fully funded apprenticeship opportunities available from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), including Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships. The programmes allow firms to develop current or new members of staff up to degree level.

With many employers having to adapt to the uncertain business climate prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Wayne Paul, Dundee’s Industrial Liaison Officer, said that apprenticeships offer the best of both worlds for both enterprise and employees.

“Many people hear the word apprenticeship and associate them solely with the trades, those starting out in their careers, or think that they are for those who did not thrive at school. That is a huge misconception.

“Our programmes allow businesses to develop their workforce at any stage of their career, be that providing an opportunity to someone just starting out in their career, upskilling a current member of the workforce, or providing an opportunity for someone who is looking to change direction within the business.

“These opportunities are fully-funded and easily accessible, and without mountains of paperwork. Our programmes provide employers with the opportunity to develop employees to the point where they are fully-integrated within the company structure, with many years of industry experience and with a full honours degree, all at no additional training cost to the business.”

Dundee first teamed up with SDS in 2017 and currently offers places in five courses:

•     Business Management BSc (Hons)
•     Civil Engineering BEng (Hons)
•     Engineering, Design and Manufacturing BEng (Hons)
•     IT Management for Business BSc (Hons)
•     IT Software Development BSc (Hons)

Businesses can either recommend an existing employee to undertake a Graduate Apprenticeship or hire a new member of staff. Current employees could be professionals who have no formal education and are keen to progress, or non-technical employees moving into business, IT, software development, or engineering.

“The pandemic really put into perspective just how beneficial apprenticeships can be for businesses of all shapes and sizes,” added Wayne.

“Many employers have had to reduce their staffing levels and increase their efficiency, and that makes the need to invest in the development of a workforce even more important.”

Fiona McMillan at the University of Stirling, added, “Collaborating with the University of Dundee and our college partners is a real pleasure, and we’re delighted to be making more organisations aware of the positive impacts of the whole apprenticeship family. Apprenticeships provide a fantastic solution to the skills challenges faced by many companies, equipping them for the future – we’re proud to be part of that.”