Common goal of 25,000 modern apprentices this year

Two former Scottish Premier League chairmen teamed up yesterday to encourage employers to “get someone off the bench” by taking on a modern apprentice.

Former Rangers chairman John McClelland and Ken Lewandowski, who chaired Hibernian, were speaking at a business breakfast hosted by Clydesdale Bank.

McClelland, now chair of Skills Development Scotland, the body that supports modern apprenticeships, said the system allowed employers to develop a strong, loyal and competitive workforce while improving productivity.

“This year Skills Development Scotland wants to work with Scottish employers to recruit 25,000 new modern apprentices – 5,000 more than last year – in over 80 occupations,” he said. “This offers business of all sizes and across all sectors plenty of opportunities to get involved in this worthwhile programme.”

The duo were addressing Glasgow business leaders at the end of Scottish apprenticeship week, which saw employers from across the country outline how their operations had benefited from having apprentices in their workforce.