Scottish Apprenticeship Funding Welcomed by Skillsmart Retail
Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail, has welcomed news that funding will be provided for 2,000 further Modern Apprenticeships in the Scottish retail sector.
The announcement by Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, is intended to help support Scotland’s economy grow out of the current recession.
Ian McAvoy, Skillsmart Retail’s National Manager for Scotland, said: “The announcement of 2,000 new Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland is fantastic news for all retailers in the country.
“Retail is the number one private employer in Scotland with almost 25,000 businesses and a quarter of a million staff at all levels from shop floor to boardroom. Because of this, having a strong retail sector is vital to the whole nation’s economy.”
The creation of the new Modern Apprenticeships in retail comes six months after the approval of a wide-ranging £33bn package to stimulate the economy. £16m of this was earmarked for the creation of 7,800 new Apprenticeships across all sectors, meaning retail has taken more than a quarter of these. There are now 18,500 Modern Apprenticeships across Scotland.
The new Modern Apprenticeship places will be available to retail workers of all ages and Skills Development Scotland has worked closely with big name employers to ensure all the places will be taken.