Dundee to provide Graduate Apprenticeships
Published On Tue 24 Jan 2017 by Grant Hill
The University of Dundee has been announced as one of the providers of a major new programme of Graduate Apprenticeships launched by Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
The University is the only institution in Scotland offering places across all four strands of the apprenticeship programme. Working in partnership with businesses, up to 70 places on four different Graduate Apprenticeships will be available:
- IT Management for Business
- IT Software Development
- Engineering, Design & Manufacturing
- Civil Engineering
Graduate Apprentices will be employed by organisations working in each of these sectors, allowing them to combine academic learning at a world-class university with practical learning in the workplace.
“This kind of work-based learning offers great opportunities for people to develop the skills that our industrial partners are looking for, and strengthens the links between the University and business,” said Dr Karen Petrie, who is leading the programme for the University.
“Our courses will be delivered with some of the major local businesses across Tayside and are very much focused on benefitting people from the local area. It is a project which offers wider access to higher education for people who may not otherwise have felt able to attend as they are already working full-time, while businesses may also see it as an attractive option for developing new staff.
“We are Scotland’s University of the Year and a world Top 200 university in part because we have embraced initiatives like this which deliver new opportunities and benefit the wider economy. Dundee is the only partner university offering all four of the frameworks developed for the apprenticeship programme and we are excited to be offering this on such a large scale.
“We are already speaking to businesses with a view to recruiting the first Graduate Apprentices to begin on the programme in the autumn. If businesses haven’t already spoken to us and are interested in getting involved we would be happy to hear from them.”
Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by SDS in partnership with employers, universities and colleges and professional bodies to create stronger links between education and industry.
Jonathan Clark, Director of Service Design and Innovation at Skills Development Scotland said, “Graduate Apprenticeships have the potential to transform the way that young people access further and higher education.
“Graduate Apprentices will be employed during their studies and because much of the learning takes place in the workplace they will have the opportunity to immediately apply what they learn at college or university in their jobs – and vice versa.
“This provides opportunities for employers to help shape the skills of their employees and to address skills shortages affecting their industry and the local economy. SDS is delighted to be working with the University of Dundee to deliver all four Graduate Apprenticeships and we look forward to working together to develop the skills employers need.”
Find out more at https://www.dundee.ac.uk/industry/graduateapprenticeships/.
Notes to Editors
Skills Development Scotland has developed Graduate Apprenticeships with support from the European Social Fund.
The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit their website or follow @scotgovESIF.
Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by the national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, in partnership with employers, universities and colleges. For further information visit www.apprenticeships.scot/graduate or follow @apprentice_scot.
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Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
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Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk