Celebrating Scottish Apprenticeship Week: Empowering Through Engineering and Bespoke Automation

February 2024

Like many other engineering companies, SP Automation and Robotics completely understand the need for bringing apprentices through the ranks by combining offsite training at colleges and practical hands-on training at their place of work. This work-based learning is a crucial process to ensure our engineers of the future can help fill the gap when retirement and growth happen. It also allows these apprentices to be trained in traditional and new technologies at modern colleges to add even more value to their employer and their own ever-growing experience – our engineers don’t stop learning.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is an annual celebration that resonates with the heartbeat of progress, echoing across people of all ages, diverse backgrounds, employers of every size, and the vibrant tapestry of Scotland’s economy. This week is not just a recognition but also a call to action — a time when we collectively champion the profound benefits of work-based learning.

Unveiling the Spotlight: Benefits Across the Spectrum

This week casts a powerful spotlight on the transformative effects of work-based learning. It extends its reach to people from all walks of life, offering them opportunities to build skills that are not just relevant today but are the very building blocks for a prosperous future. Employers, regardless of their size, find apprenticeships the key to unlocking the potential of their workforce, contributing significantly to the growth of Scotland’s economy.

The Engine of Skills: Creating Opportunities for Every Generation

At the core of Scottish Apprenticeship Week is recognising that apprenticeships are the crucible for creating skills that stand the test of time. These are not just the skills employers need now but a forward-looking investment in the capabilities required for the future. This year’s campaign resonates with the idea that apprenticeships are not merely about learning; they are about high-quality opportunities that shape careers and enable individuals to contribute meaningfully to the workforce.

Engineering the Future: Navigating a Changing Business Landscape

Amidst the diverse sectors touched by apprenticeships, there is a particular focus on engineering and bespoke automation for manufacturers, essentially creating jobs of the future and upskilling workforces. In a constantly evolving world, businesses need to adapt and innovate to stay competitive. Scottish Apprenticeship Week acknowledges this imperative and spotlights how apprenticeships in engineering equip businesses with the skills to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

Shaping Tomorrow, Today

As Scottish Apprenticeship Week unfolds, it becomes a testament to the collective investment in the future—fostering skills, empowering individuals, and fueling Scotland’s economy. The focus on engineering and bespoke automation underscores the strategic importance of adapting to technological advancements and staying at the forefront of innovation.

We took 2 apprentices on last year to replace machinists that retired.

Within our team, we currently have two apprentices. Phil Brown joined us on 10th April 2023; after leaving school, Phil had the opportunity to take up a golf scholarship in the USA. However, he decided to pursue a career in engineering, and Jack MacFarlane, who started with us on 1st August 2023. Jack has followed a different route whereby he has already gained his SVQ Level 2 and NC Engineering, having completed a full-time college course. Both apprentices attend college one day a week and learn practical skills the other days within the business. Our apprentices are undertaking a 4 year Modern Apprenticeship, split into 3 qualifications: SVQ Level 2, NC & SVQ Level 3.

The whole qualification is funded by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), which is coordinated by  Dundee & Angus College. A big thanks to Blaine McAulay, Development Officer at D&A College, who completed the enrolment and the ongoing assessments of the apprentice’s progress at college and workplace.

At this stage, Phil and Jack are undergoing training in the machine shop and gaining skills in the manufacture of parts using machinery. In every apprenticeship, there is a story of growth, of building a skilled workforce that not only meets the needs of today but anticipates and shapes the challenges of tomorrow. Let’s celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week—a commitment to progress, learning, and creating a future where every individual and business can thrive.

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