Taking Graduate Apprenticeships to Shetland

by Lynne Somerville, Business Relationship Manager

For those of you who are lucky enough to have visited Shetland, you will know that it is both a place of breath-taking beauty and home to a metropolitan culture of people who welcome you with a smile and open arms.

Last week during Scottish Apprenticeship week I had the pleasure of visiting Shetland to attend the Employer and Pupil Apprenticeship event hosted by DYW Shetland. It was ideal timing to take the Heriot-Watt University fully online Graduate Apprenticeships offering to its newest audience.

Thinking Global, Acting Local

Shetland's economy is strong, where thinking global but acting local means it is an incubator of innovation with strong forecasts for job opportunities across its key sectors.

After speaking with many employers, I found the one issue they all seemed to share - and which echoes the Highlands and Islands Talent Attraction, Retention and Return Strategy and Action Plan - is how the Island can retain and attract the talent to underpin its future success and guarantee a solid societal infrastructure that will allow future generations to thrive and flourish.???

It’s worth noting that the Highlands and Islands 2019-2022 strategy is making good headway in increasing its committed stayers from 36% to 46% and reducing the number of committed leavers from 34% to 22% in recent years. However, there are still key factors that will impact on these numbers, such as where a young person can access further and higher education.

Creating opportunities for young people and employers

Given a choice, I found the pupils I spoke with were keen to stay on the Island but shared with me that they didn’t think it would be an option if they were to pursue a career in their chosen field.?

Rightfully so, a young person’s dream of attending university is a rite of passage that every young person should be afforded.?I explained that to be a Heriot-Watt Graduate Apprentice, they just need to find a local employer willing to offer them a suitable Graduate Apprenticeship role.

Pupils, and their parents, were surprised and delighted to learn that a Graduate apprentice candidate could achieve a degree alongside that valuable work-based learning experience, without having to leave the family home or Shetland. I should add, Heriot-Watt’s Graduate Apprentice candidates are always welcome to attend the Edinburgh campus, should they want to.

Overall, it was a very worthwhile and productive trip, educating the next generation on their options and strategising with Shetland's employers on how Heriot-Watt can help them to future proof not only their workforce but the Islands' economy.??

Arriving at Sumburgh Airport, nestled between beautiful beaches and jagged coastline, to catch my return flight home, I'm thankful the winds are nowhere near what they were like on my arrival!?The only thing I'm disappointed by was not to have taken more pictures of the beautiful scenery on offer... I'm sure that can be remedied on my next visit!

Pictured above: top - Lynne Somerville, Heriot-Watt; middle - Nina Hogmo, DYW Shetland Coordinator