Since April there have been 3,634 new Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland as employers continue to support work-based learning. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has published statistics for the first quarter of the financial year which show the number of Modern Apprenticeship starts is on course to hit the annual target of 26,000.

Scottish Government has set a target of 30,000 Modern Apprenticeship starts each year by 2020. The figures show 70 per cent of Modern Apprenticeship starts were aged 16 to 24-years-old, with two thirds at Level 3 or above.

SDS Director of National Training Programmes, Katie Hutton, said: “The latest figures show that employers continue to invest in training and developing their workforce through Modern Apprenticeships. SDS is committed to equality of opportunity and will keep working hard with partners to ensure Modern Apprenticeships remain accessible for all.”

Minister for Employability and Training, Jamie Hepburn said: “Today’s figures show that once again we are on course to meet our annual target of 26,000 Modern Apprenticeship starts. But we want to go much further which is why we have an ambitious target to increase this to 30,000 by 2020.

“Since taking up the post of Employability and Training Minister, I have heard from companies time and time again that apprentices are a crucial element to their business, bringing fresh ideas and new ways of working to the teams they join. That’s why it is encouraging to see that the majority of apprentices have started at level 3 and above, across a wide range of sectors, over the quarter.

“Apprenticeships offer our young people better career prospects and have a positive impact on the businesses and industry, bringing value to both employers and the economy. I would encourage more employers to follow the lead of those who have already taken on an apprentice this year and help even more young people make the most of their potential.”

Modern Apprenticeships are jobs where young people can work, learn and earn to gain industry-recognised qualifications.

There are more than 80 different types of Modern Apprenticeships – from healthcare and financial services to construction and IT.

More than 125,000 people in Scotland have started a Modern Apprenticeship over the past five years.