University of Dundee to provide new Graduate Apprenticeship opportunities

The University of Dundee has been selected to provide Graduate Apprenticeships as part of a major collaboration with Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

A total of 110 places are to be funded by the skills provider, with the University working in partnership with employers to provide qualifications in subjects covering Business, Civil and Manufacturing Engineering, IT and Software.

It will allow Graduate Apprentices to combine their tuition at Dundee while working at an organisation involved in their relevant sector of study.

Having first teamed up with SDS in 2017, Kirsty Scott, Industrial Liaison Officer at Dundee, said, “Graduate Apprenticeships are making huge contributions to employers by retaining staff and skills in the local economy. By unveiling our largest number of Graduate Apprenticeships to date, we at the University of Dundee are illustrating our commitment to our local community and helping more people fulfil their career ambitions.

“We know there is a demand for this type and level of learning and this announcement is great news for employees, businesses, and the local economy.”

Graduate Apprenticeships combine work-based learning and high quality education, allowing both students and employers to benefit.

As well as allowing employers to develop the skills of an existing employee, Graduate Apprenticeships also allow new staff members to learn on the job, improving productivity, morale, retention and quality of service.

This latest announcement will see the University offer places in five courses from September:

• Business Management (including Financial Services)
• Engineering, Design and Manufacturing
• Civil Engineering
• IT: Management for Business
• IT: Software Development

Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by SDS in partnership with employers, universities and colleges, and professional bodies to create stronger links between education and industry.

The growth of Graduate Apprenticeships supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to create 30,000 apprenticeship jobs a year by 2020.

Ahead of the launch of the application process, Dr Karen Petrie, Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching at Dundee’s School of Science and Engineering, added, “We are interacting with dozens of employers from across the local area and are always looking for more to get involved with our Graduate Apprenticeships. By working with industry we are helping to upskill the local workforce, providing companies with staff that are capable of taking their business to the next level.”

Skills Development Scotland, Director of Service Design and Innovation, Jonathan Clark, said: “The success and growth of Graduate Apprenticeships demonstrates that they are supporting employers to upskill their workforce and giving individuals more opportunities to learn and develop their career whilst in employment.

“Universities and colleges across the country are widening their choice of Graduate Apprenticeships and Skills Development Scotland will continue to develop subjects that focus on a range of sectors where there is a need for highly skilled jobs.”

Further details are available online.