It’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week and it’s important that we celebrate the valuable contribution that apprentices make not only to our business, but across the country.

This year the theme is ‘Made for Business’ – highlighting how apprenticeships are designed to meet employer needs while developing skilled individuals who in turn will drive business success. This aligns with our approach to talent development at SLC.

Apprenticeships are a key part of our strategy to develop our colleagues’ skills and bridge the gap between education and work, offering hands on experience and career opportunities. They also help us build the skills we need now and in the future. At SLC, we want to attract new talent to support our core purpose, as well as our transformation initiatives, and create a diverse and capable workforce ready to take us forward in the years ahead,SL

I joined SLC in August last year and I was immediately impressed at the focus placed on our Emerging Talent programmes. Not only for new starts joining our Apprentice programmes, but also for colleagues who have chosen to progress their SLC journeys through upskilling opportunities. It’s vital that we develop our talent to ensure we stay ahead in an evolving digital and data landscape, as well as fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

I’m especially pleased that we have six colleagues starting their upskilling Data Analytics Apprenticeships, with four being based in the Change and Data Directorate. The benefits for the colleagues involved and my wider team, will include enhanced technical and leadership skills, and ultimately a strengthened capability to deliver for our customers. I’m looking forward to watching and supporting their progress through their qualification and beyond.

This Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we have also announced that we are recruiting 12 new Student Finance Officer Apprentices who will be based in our Hillington office. This is a great opportunity to combine learning with earning while building skills that employers value.  I would encourage anyone interested  to visit our Careers website and find out more about SLC and what this programme could offer. Six months into my SLC career, I can assure you that you will be warmly welcomed into an organisation that serves to enable the nation’s students to invest in their futures by providing financial support to access further and higher education.