Embracing Technological Advancement with Graduate Apprenticeships

We live in a fast-moving, volatile world. The world of work is no different. The skills required to enable organisations to grow, increase productivity and provide vital services are changing at an unprecedented pace and many organisations admit that they are struggling to fill skilled vacancies and attract talent.

Increasing automation is providing more efficient methods of designing and manufacturing products, the use of big data and data analytics is enabling increasingly personalised product offerings and the rise of Artificial Intelligence is changing traditional job roles. Embracing technological advancement will enable businesses to maintain or increase their competitive edge, grow revenues and profits, and will inevitably change the kinds of job our economy needs. Indeed, a recent report from the Skills Development Scotland-led Centre for Work Based Learning (CWBL) highlighted the rather startling statistic that 65% of our children will have a job that doesn’t yet exist!

The need for organisations to have skilled staff, equipped for the future, is evident. Yet a recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found that more than three-quarters of businesses admit they have a digital skills shortage.

Faced with these challenges at a time when budgets are tight, margins inflexible and the future uncertain (dare I mention Brexit?), how do HR professionals and business leaders ensure they can best recruit, retain and retrain their staff to be fit for the future? I would argue that there has never been a greater need for employers to embrace work-based learning.

The introduction of Graduate Apprenticeships in Scotland gives employers the opportunity to recruit and train new staff – and, importantly, the option to retrain current staff - to degree level while learning on the job. Graduate Apprentices have been developed by industry in partnership with Skills Development Scotland to meet their needs and to help combat skills shortages in key areas in the Scottish economy through fully-funded qualifications. And there’s no age limit on who can take part.

The Open University was established nearly 50 years ago by Fife’s Jennie Lee. The idea was to create a ‘University of the Air’, open to all and without the need for either campus attendance or previous qualifications. Since then, we’ve helped more than two million people achieve their study goals, balancing life, work and learning commitments, and skilling and re-skilling people from all walks of life and across all parts of the world. With students in every part of the country, we’re Scotland’s national access university, and three-quarters of our 16,000 students in Scotland work while they study.

We’ve supported employers and employees in every sector and from all backgrounds to maximise their potential for half a century – and that’s why we’re thrilled to be offering Graduate Apprenticeships in Software Development and Cyber Security from this autumn. Our flexible online provision is delivered around the demands of your business, and means employees don’t need to travel to a campus to study. Our unique e-portfolio ensures that learning is relevant and customised to fit with the needs and objectives of the organisation.

For more information on The Open University in Scotland and our Graduate Apprenticeship go to www.open.ac.uk/business/apprenticeships.