By Lucy Ashton
Jackie Baillie MSP has spoken of the enthusiasm shown by apprentices at Aggreko after meeting eight on-site at the firm’s Lomondgate manufacturing facility and another four via video link from Birmingham during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022.
The Dumbarton constituency MSP was so inspired by the ambitious apprentices she met there that she has demanded greater investment from the Scottish Government to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people.
She has warned the SNP are “robbing young people in West Dunbartonshire of opportunities” as figures reveal the number of Modern Apprentices in the area failing to return to pre-pandemic levels.
New figures from Skills Development Scotland show that, in West Dunbartonshire, just 358 Modern Apprentices started in the first three quarters of 2021/22, down by almost a third compared to 2019/20.
Jackie Baillie, right, said: “Apprenticeships are a vital way for young people to learn new skills and discover new career paths, and I am delighted to be backing Apprenticeship Week 2022.
“I had a very interesting visit to Aggreko’s Lomondgate manufacturing facility in which I spoke to some incredibly engaging and enthusiastic apprentices.
“I also met with the staff who run the apprenticeship programme and indeed some started their career with the company as apprentices themselves.
“They are truly inspiring and the apprenticeship programme at Aggreko gives local school-leavers the chance to carve out an exciting and prosperous career.
“I spoke with apprentices who have been working on powering the Commonwealth Games which will be staged in Birmingham this year and who were involved with COP26. I also spoke with another who travelled to Africa last year to work with the company there. The opportunities are endless, exciting and challenging.
“Sadly, there are limited spaces available on such programmes which could transform the opportunities available to our young people. The SNP’s failure to deliver on apprenticeships is robbing young people in West Dunbartonshire of these chances.
“This year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week must not be just about talk but must lead to real ambition for young people and a true transformation of apprenticeships in Scotland.”
- In 2019/20, there were 517 Modern Apprentices in West Dunbartonshire. By, 2021/22, this had fallen by 31% to 358. Only Argyll and Bute and Shetland saw a greater reduction.