A mechanical engineer and his employer are among the finalists in Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship Awards.

They will be joined by two other city employers – Standard Life and Young Scot – who are also hoping for success in the Awards, which are organised by Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

Ross Herbert is described by his employers Finmeccanica-Selex ES as “an indispensable asset”. The 22-year-old has become one of the ‘go to’ experts in CAD software systems and is a finalist in the Higher Level Apprenticeship category of the Awards.

His employers are hoping for a win in the Large Employers category for businesses with less than 5,000 workers. The company has 50 engineering, craft and business apprentices, with a further 32 being recruited this year.

Young Scot is a contender in the SME category for organisations with less than 250 employees. The organisation started its Modern Apprenticeship programme three years ago. It was keen to capitalise on the fresh ideas and enthusiasm of young workers to remain dynamic to other young people.

Standard Life launched its apprenticeship programme in 1998 to attract the “cream of the crop” of local school-leavers. The company, which is a finalist in the Macro Employer category for organisations with over 5,000 employees, believes apprentices’ talent has helped to transform the business.

The Awards, which take place on Wednesday 18 November, in Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms have been partnered by CGI, CITB, SQA, the City of Edinburgh Council, Diageo, Eastern Exhibition and Display and GTG Training.

SDS’s Chief Executive Damien Yeates said: “Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship Awards recognise the commitment to training show by employers and employees across the country. It’s this continued commitment that will see the number of Modern Apprenticeship places increase each year from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020.”

He added: “Ross and the employers here are great examples of the benefits Modern Apprenticeships bring to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. All the finalists are to be congratulated for their achievements so far. The judges are certainly going to have a difficult task picking the winners.”

November will also see Modern Apprentices visit secondary schools across the country as part of SDS’s drive to encourage more young people to consider apprenticeships as a career path.

Find out more about Modern Apprenticeships and search for job vacancies at www.apprenticeships.scot.
To keep updated on Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship Awards 2015 please also follow @skillsdevscot and use #ScotMAAwards2015.