5 November 2014
Parliament announces 20 new
apprenticeship positions
An apprenticeship scheme to employ 20 young people in the
Scottish Parliament has been launched today by the Presiding Officer Tricia
Marwick.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work in a
range of areas including Visitor Services, Events, Security, HR and IT.
An Open Day for young people interested in hearing more
about the available opportunities will be held in the Parliament on 21 November.
Presiding Officer the Rt HonTricia Marwick MSP said:
“The Scottish Parliament is an employer in its
own right and we hope to lead by example.
This apprenticeship scheme will provide opportunities for young people
to build the skills to help them in their future careers. We will offer a range of positions to help
build skills and to develop confidence.
“From today, through a dedicated
website, young people aged between 16-24 can access details of these
opportunities and next month we will be hosting an Open Day at which I hope to
welcome young people from across Scotland.”
Clerk and Chief Executive of the
Scottish Parliament Paul Grice said:
“The Scottish Parliament is a vibrant and modern workplace
and we want a workforce that reflects the diversity of Scotland’s population. We know the talent is out there –
and we want to see it in the Parliament.
“This scheme provides a great
opportunity for young people from all backgrounds to use their different
abilities and to develop new skills to help build a successful career. We are always looking for people with
initiative to inject different ideas and fresh thinking and, in return, we
offer a great organisation where young people can begin their career.
“Young people have
much to offer the Parliament and we have much to offer them – a supportive work
environment and the first steps on a career path.”
The Parliament piloted a Modern
Apprenticeship programme in 2012 and one of the successful applicants, Lynsey
Mackay, backed the scheme. She said:
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when I applied to the
Parliament. But I quickly realised there
were lots of different roles here and I was encouraged to experience them.
“Nearly two years on, I now have a vocational qualification
and can compete for full-time posts within the Parliament – all thanks to the
apprenticeship programme.”
Another apprentice, Tess
Schmigylski, said:
“Some people might assume that the
Parliament is a very dry, boring place to work.
Well I can safely say that I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time here –
my colleagues have been very supportive and there is always so much going on.
“I feel far more confident now
about my life and my career than when I first started and I would encourage any
young person who is unsure what they want to do with their life, to find out
more about the Parliament’s apprenticeship programme.”
Background
- A dedicated website about the Parliament’s apprenticeship programme is now live at www.scottish.parliament.uk/apprenticeships . The website features video interviews with existing apprentices, the Parliament Chief Executive Paul Grice, and members of staff.
- An Open Day about the apprenticeship programme is being held at Holyrood on 21 November. For more details on the day and how to book go to www.scottish.parliament.uk/apprenticeships or email us at apprenticeships@scottish.parliament.uk
- Applications for apprenticeship posts will open on Friday 21 November and will close at midnight on Sunday 7 December.
- The Parliament aims to recruit 20 apprentices through two separate tranches, taking on 11 apprentices in the first tranche (2015) and nine apprentices in the second tranche (2017).
- The apprenticeships will run for a maximum of 24 months with each apprentice working towards a high quality vocational qualification in areas such as IT, Security and general administration posts in Chamber and Clerking and Finance.
- Follow @scotparl and #SPApprentices on Twitter for all the latest news in the run up to the Open Day and up to date information about the scheme.
Media information
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