Modern Apprenticeships are making their mark at Scottish recruitment specialist Brightwork Group, with nearly a sixth of the fast-growing company's staff coming through the scheme.
Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes, designed with employers, which combine on- and off-the-job learning and development activities. They are used to develop employees who are in new job roles.
A Modern Apprentice (MA) could be a new team member, or existing employees seeking to increase their capability. Apprentices receive training to match the business's growth needs and employers benefit from a skilled and productive workforce.
For seven years, the Brightwork Group has been employing and encouraging young people to join the company's offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh through the MA scheme.
Sophie Mears, HR Training and Development Manager, said: "Brightwork sees the MA as a fantastic opportunity for people planning to enter into the world of work. It gives them a very good grounding with the training and support available.
"The MA provides a partnership approach between employers, training providers and the apprentices. The MA is about learning and qualifications combined with on-the-job experience, learning core skills such as communication, customer service, administration, working with others and problem solving."
The company uses different training providers to advertise roles, including GTG Training, the Tell Organisation, Limelight Careers and RTI-training. It currently is working with RTI-training to recruit a Resourcer for its Edinburgh Office.
Caroline McFarlane, Director at Limelight, said: “The practices, processes and values of Brightwork compliment the standards of Modern Apprenticeships well. The variety and depth of work undertaken by the candidates allows us to utilise the flexibility of the Modern Apprenticeship framework and ensure that the candidate has a practical application of processes and systems – but also importantly has the right knowledge and behaviours that underpin business success.
“Limelight Careers have been working with Brightwork for a number of years now, and it is a pleasure to see their young people grow and thrive in a supportive environment.”
The entry point for successful apprentices - who complete their SVQs in Business Administration - start as Office Administrators in either the Finance Department or Recruitment Divisions.
One of the first MAs, Emma Farricker, who completed the scheme in 2008, said: "The Modern Apprenticeship started me on a very fulfilling career. The recruitment sector has many challenges and the MA scheme was the foundation on which I have been able to build my skills." Emma is now a finance assistant in the Edinburgh office.
Brightwork Group chief executive Derek May said: "There are very many talented young people out there who only need opportunity to embark on a successful career path.
"The MA scheme provides the infrastructure, both personal and professional, on which young people can build as they work their way towards the professional status they wish to achieve."
Brightwork is now working with the Job Centre Plus (DWP) within their Work Experience scheme, by providing a work experience placement to help people gain valuable experience in the work place. This enables young, unemployed people to volunteer for placements lasting between two and eight weeks.
