Published on:
27
January 2016
Two of the Council's former Modern Apprentices have become the faces of a recruitment campaign aimed at encouraging more young people to take up this opportunity.
Modern Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to kick-start their careers. They provide the opportunity to work in paid jobs while undertaking workplace training leading to industry recognised qualifications. Modern Apprentices are taken on as employees and earn a wage from day one.
As the biggest employer locally, Clackmannanshire Council has made a commitment to increase the number of young people recruited as Modern Apprentices across Council services. This is in support of Scotland's Youth Employment Strategy, Developing the Young Workforce, which aims to reduce youth unemployment by 40% by 2021.
Leigh Sneddon started with the Council in 2008 as a Modern Apprentice with Social Services Child Care. Over the years she has gained experience in a number of different services and achieved her SVQ Level 2 and 3 in Business & Administration. Whilst working in Social Services Child Care, Leigh gained an insight into the work done within the Residential Childcare Homes and realised that this was the area of work she wanted to move into. Leigh initially volunteered within the Home and, through dedication and hard work, she was successful in gaining a part-time position as a Residential Childcare Officer. Leigh combines this position with her administrative role within Social Services Child Care and is currently studying towards her HNC in Social Care and an SVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care.
Leigh said: "The Modern Apprenticeship offers a wide range of office experience whilst gaining an SVQ Level 3 in Business Administration, equivalent to HNC level, and getting paid for it too! I knew it was the only way for me to get a good secure job as it allows you to move around and apply for other jobs within the council. Would definitely recommend the Modern Apprenticeship programme as it has helped me get to where I am today!"
Ryan Douglas was a former Head Boy at Alva Academy and although he had the qualifications to go to university, he chose to do a Modern Apprenticeship instead. At the end of his Modern Apprenticeship, Ryan was successful in securing a job as a Governance Support Assistant within the Council's Democracy Team. He has since progressed along his career path and is now working as the Patient Experience Co-ordinator for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Ryan said: "My Modern Apprenticeship was the best move I ever made. The Council has a great process for ensuring apprentices get to experience as much as possible and help widen your horizons to future opportunities. I have certainly learned many skills from my apprenticeship, met many great people, seen and done some awesome things and gained work based, relevant qualifications which helped me secure two jobs so far."
Leigh and Ryan are the faces of a range of publicity material aimed at encouraging more young people to kick start their careers with a Modern Apprenticeship.
The Council is in the process of recruiting for a range of Modern Apprenticeship opportunities. Four young people have just been recruited as Business & Administration Modern Apprentices for the Council's Business Support team which provides a centralised administrative support service to all parts of the Council. Three young people have been taken on as Sports Modern Apprentices to work in the Council's Sports Development team and a young person has been taken on as a Janitor and will undertake a Modern Apprenticeship in Facilities Management. A number of young people have started work experience placements in Class Cuisine, the Council's Catering service, and Ludgate House, the Council's Adult Day Care Centre, which may lead to Modern Apprenticeships in Catering and Social Services & Healthcare.
Other Modern Apprenticeship opportunities will be coming up in future months in Waste Management and Facilities Management.
The Council traditionally recruits a small number of craft apprentices each year and the recruitment for the next intake in August should start around February/March.
All of the Modern Apprentice recruits will gain practical skills specific to their jobs and will work towards a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) at level 2 or 3 in the relevant area. The length of a Modern Apprenticeships can be anything from 1 year up to 4 years, depending on the sector and the level of the Modern Apprenticeship.
Most of the training will take place in the workplace with an Assessor visiting the Modern Apprentices on a regular basis to assess them against a set of competencies required to do their jobs. Some Modern Apprenticeships such as the craft apprenticeships require an element of off-the-job training which will take place at college.
All Modern Apprenticeship opportunities in the Council are advertised on the shared recruitment portal for all public sector bodies - www.myjobscotland.gov.uk
- as well as being promoted through the Council's Facebook page.
For anyone interested in pursuing a Modern Apprenticeship in the Council, we would be happy to hear from you any time. Please contact Kate Smith on 01259 225191 or at ksmith3@clacks.gov.uk