Modern apprenticeship in Scotland’s spirits industry

Distilleries all over Scotland can enrol their modern apprentices in the country’s first dedicated MA scheme

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme, delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on behalf of the Scottish Government, offers employers from businesses of all sizes the chance to develop their workforce, and provides opportunities for individuals aged 16 or over to train for a nationally recognised qualification whilst being in paid employment.

As an employer, there are many benefits to recruiting an MA or offering an MA opportunity to an existing staff member. Not only will you be developing enthusiastic young talent with the exact skills and experience your company requires, you’ll also receive funding towards the training of your MA; and depending on their age, this may be fully-funded for the duration of their apprenticeship.

Research carried out by SDS last year found that 81% of MAs who successfully completed their Modern Apprenticeship then moved on to a position with more responsibility and/or better pay, so by choosing to take part in the MA programme, you are making an investment in the future talent that your workforce requires.

Raising your spirits: 81% of modern apprentices end up in a position with more responsibility and/or better pay

Modern Apprenticeships are available across many sectors, including customer service, hospitality, business administration, food and drink operations, and hairdressing as well as more traditional industries such as engineering, construction, plumbing and motor vehicle.

Brand new apprenticeship programme for the spirits industry

In a first for Scotland, Fife College is now also delivering a brand new Modern Apprenticeship in Spirit Operations. So if you are an employer within this sector who is interested in providing a new employee with the best possible start to a career in the spirits industry, or perhaps you would like to offer an existing member of staff the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification whilst they are working for you, then you’ll be happy to hear that geography is not a barrier.

The specialist Business Development Managers at Fife College work with companies to deliver this MA across the whole of Scotland, and your apprentices would not need to attend Fife College physically to receive their training, which is a bonus if your distillery is based on Orkney!

Additional apprenticeship places

Whatever your sector, you can trust the team at Fife College to train your apprentices and manage every aspect of the MA programme for you, from helping with the recruitment of suitable candidates to assisting you with all the necessary paperwork, and making sure you access all of the funding available to employers.

With over 20 years’ experience of delivering Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programmes in Scotland, Fife College is set to help support even more local employers looking to develop their workforces, as they were recently awarded a contract to deliver 392 Modern Apprenticeship places this year, up from 259 places last year.

Extra support for employers

This announcement from Skills Development Scotland, which sees Fife College awarded the second highest number of MA places of all colleges in Scotland, follows work by the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to provide a range of support measures for employers to recruit through apprenticeships. This has included the Apprenticeship Employer Grant and an enhanced Adopt an Apprentice offer.

Jan Thomson, Director of Business Development at Fife College, said: “Apprenticeships will play a crucial role as we work to support our local economy to recover from the impact of the pandemic in the months ahead.

“We're therefore delighted to be able to offer the second highest number of Modern Apprenticeship places of any college in Scotland here at Fife College.

“Combining working and learning, Modern Apprenticeships are a great way to gain the skills and experiences employers are looking for while also earning. For employers, they are also a great option to develop enthusiastic young talent with the exact skills and experience their business needs.

“We look forward to working with Fife Council, Skills Development Scotland and local businesses to ensure Fife benefits from this latest range of apprenticeship opportunities.”

If you are an employer who is looking to find out more about the wide range of MA opportunities on offer across many industry areas, you should visit the Modern Apprenticeship pages of the Fife College Business website.