3 March 2025
It’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week: the perfect opportunity to talk about the role that apprenticeships are playing in shaping the future workforce, how they’re giving Scotland’s businesses a boost, and to showcase some of the great apprenticeship stories and successes of the past 12 months.
With this year’s theme being ‘Made for Business’, Scottish Apprenticeship Week celebrates the contributions of apprentices and highlights the value they bring to employers and the economy. Fife College shares this ethos with a strong commitment to working with industry partners to nurture talent and support business.
At the heart of the kingdom, Fife College serves over 20,000 students, including 1,250 apprentices and our apprentices benefit from industry-standard learning and expert staff across our campuses. They’re encouraged to engage with our award-winning Students’ Association and have access to great resources like the Employability Hub, libraries, and guidance support services.
“Embarking on an apprenticeship with Fife College was a game-changer for me. The hands-on experience, coupled with the academic knowledge, has given me a solid foundation for my career.” – Coll Izatt, Fife AutoTech.
Alongside our MAs, Fife College has trained 1,157 pupils in Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) across SCQF Levels 4 to 6, with 164 more currently enrolled for the 2024-2025 session. FAs serve as a crucial stepping stone to Modern Apprenticeships, allowing a seamless progression route for young people to begin their career journey with confidence and competence, while still at school. These have been instrumental in addressing key regional skill gaps and meeting the needs of local and national employers, as well as being highly popular with the apprentices themselves.
86% of FAs say their apprenticeship helped their confidence and skills…
Fife College continues to demonstrate a dedication to exceptional training delivery. Our 125-year history includes a notable commitment to apprenticeships that began with Glenrothes College being recognised as a finalist in the inaugural Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Awards in 2002. From those early days, our training has been meeting the changing needs of industry, introducing Modern Apprenticeships and, more recently, Foundation Apprenticeships in 2016. Our work with these initiatives reflects our forward-thinking approach to bridging skills gaps, ensuring students are well-prepared for the workforce of tomorrow, and supporting local and national business.
Collaboration with employers is at the heart of our apprenticeships. By working closely with businesses, we ensure our frameworks align with industry requirements, offering training pathways in high-demand sectors such as Business, Digital, Engineering, Construction, Healthcare Support, Hospitality, Automotive, and Pharmacy Services.
As we look forward to Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we’re excited to celebrate the apprentices, partnerships, and success stories that make businesses thrive. Stay tuned throughout the week as we highlight how apprenticeships at Fife College are shaping futures and supporting Scotland’s businesses.