Graham Simpson visited Amey’s depot in Bargeddie to discuss and recognise the opportunities for apprentices within the business.
On his visit Mr Simpson was able to meet with apprentices working on Amey’s contract with North Lanarkshire along the road network. Apprentices work across every area of this diverse organisation from electricians to customer service assistants.
Central Scotland Tory MSP Mr Simpson said: “The opportunity that Amey has provided the young people I met is invaluable. This start in the workplace will be of great benefit for their future careers. I was inspired by the engagement of the apprentices with their work and colleagues and my visit highlighted the importance of encouraging increased apprenticeships across Scotland.
“Scotland’s rate of apprenticeship starts is just half that of England. There were 26,262 modern apprenticeship starts in Scotland in 2016/17, in England the equivalent apprenticeship level had 491,300 starts. This means that per 100,000 people, there were 486 modern apprenticeship starts in Scotland against 889 in England.
“The Scottish Conservatives have recently called for the SNP to ensure that foundation apprenticeships are a part of every single Scottish secondary school’s offer by 2020. There is considerable evidence that softening the divide between academic and work-based learning is key to a well performing modern economy. It is therefore extremely important for our economy and our students that all local authorities offer this real-world work experience.
“I enjoyed my visit and hope that I will be invited back in the future, to see how everyone has progressed”.