The Scottish Government announced £10m for a range of measures to recruit and retain apprentices. This targeted funding will help Modern and Graduate Apprentices, who are facing redundancy, get back into work.

This includes additional funding for Scotland’s “Adopt an Apprentice” programme which has recently been enhanced from £2,000 to £5,000. This incentive is for an employer who is willing to take on a redundant Modern or Graduate Apprentice. Further information on Adopt an Apprentice can be accessed here.

Apprentices are a central part of the £60m Scotland’s Young Person’s Guarantee which aims to give all young people aged 16 to 24 access to work, training or education. Further information can be accessed here.

As part of the Young Person’s Guarantee, £10m of funding is towards the development of Pathways to Apprenticeships which is aimed at responding to an expected gap between young people being available for work and when employers start to recruit again. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) have worked with colleges, training providers and other partners to design Pathway Apprenticeships to provide work-based learning opportunities for young people to get industry-recognised qualifications and to develop the skills employers require.

Further advice and guidance can be accessed on the website My World of Work, including skills tools and employment support. SDS also launched an Online Learning Portal connecting people with free-to- access online learning materials.

Apprentices who find themselves facing redundancy can access support through the well-established Partnership for Continuing Employment (PACE) service and SDS also operate a helpline for employers and learners. This includes dedicated careers and Apprenticeship advice, signposting to well-being resources and practical information on Apprenticeships.

More information for apprentices, employers and learning providers can be found at Skills Development Scotland. Find out more here.

UKFT Skills and Training

UKFT is the Sector Skills Body (SSB) for fashion and textiles in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work with employers, training providers and other stakeholders to raise the skills and productivity of the people who work in our sector to the highest level, ensuring the UK fashion and textile industry remains competitive in a global market.

UKFT Skills and Training

For Our Members

UKFT can help you identify the right industry training options for your business, offering advice, help with documentation and facilitating links with sector training providers.

As Sector Skills Body, our most recent work involves developing new vocational and academic routes into industry that meet the needs of business, as well as promoting the wide variety of careers in our industry to support the next generation of talented

We work with companies of all sizes from the industry’s biggest global brands through to micro businesses and start-ups, training providers and the relevant government agencies across the UK.

Our remit covers everything from fashion and footwear manufacturing, dyeing and colouring, textile care services and leather work through to pattern cutting, sewing, bespoke tailoring and garment making.

Find out more about UKFT membership