Employers from across the country gathered at Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to discuss the benefits of IT apprenticeships for their future growth. The event, run by QA Apprenticeships in conjunction with Scottish Apprenticeship Week, aimed to expand employer knowledge of apprenticeships in an effort to improve the lives and career prospects of Scotland’s young people.
QA Apprenticeships, as Scotland’s leading IT apprenticeships provider, has taken a leading role delivering Microsoft’s Get On! initiative – the Government-backed pledge to create over 2000 Microsoft apprenticeships by 2016.
Guest to the event were joined by Gavin Brown MSP and former QA Apprentice John Mackay to discuss youth unemployment issues, business and career benefits of apprenticeships and employers’ training requirements.
Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, attended the event and said:
“All layers and levels of government and employers must do everything we possibly can to bring those [unemployment] numbers down. Apprenticeships has a key role to play in that – we have to get our people skilled as well as we possibly can.”
John Mackay, former QA Apprentice, spoke at the event and added:
“I wanted something more for myself; the QA Apprenticeship opportunity came along and I chose to apply. It’s been hard work but at the end of the day it’s worth it! A lot of my friends went to university, but the job I’m doing now is where a lot of graduates would start, so I’ve got a four-year headstart on them.”
To find out more about QA Apprenticeships visit their website: http://apprenticeships.qa.com/
