Fully funded degree level training for your employees
Graduate Apprenticeships are unique: offering a high level of academic and industry accreditation, combined with experience in the workplace.
We understand your business has specific skills needs, and that’s why we’ve developed Graduate Apprenticeships in partnership with employers like you.
Suitable for new and existing employees
Apprentices learn on the job, supported by Scotland’s top universities and colleges
Designed by industry to your specific business needs
Develop and retain skilled employees who understand your business
Improve your productivity, morale, staff retention and quality of service
How it works
A Graduate Apprentice will work for you full time. It's likely that they'll spend about 80% of their time at work, and 20% with a university or college.
You'll work with the university or college delivering the training to decide what kind of learning timetable best suits your business.
For example, it might suit you to have apprentices attending uni or college once a week. Or, online learning or a block release learning for several weeks, spaced throughout the year, may suit you better.
The mix between work and learning means the work your employees do counts towards their qualification.
1. Choose the course that interests you, and contact the university or college delivering it. Find out about the courses available now, and who to contact
2. Discuss your entry requirements, timescales for recruitment, course content and assessment methods with the university or college
3. Create the job description (including entry requirements and a closing date)
4. Advertise your vacancy. You can post it here on apprenticeships.scot. It’s quick, easy to do and we’ll post it on our vacancy pages, publish it on carefully selected partner websites like Adzuna and My World of Work.
5. Review your applications and liaise with the university or college throughout
Who can become a GA?
The employee must be resident in Scotland at the start of their Graduate Apprenticeship. In addition, the premises they're working in must be located in Scotland.
There's no maximum age limit, so you can benefit from additional skills and experience an applicant may have. The employee must be at least 16 years old (or 18, depending on any health and safety requirements in your workplace).
If an employee has already studied or achieved a degree level qualification, they're still eligible for a GA if it leads to a higher level of qualification or it's in a different subject.
You can use a GA to help existing employees gain a qualification, or to recruit and train new starts.
Universities and colleges - 2018 delivery partners
- Edinburgh Napier University
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- Glasgow Kelvin College
- Heriot - Watt University
- The Open University
- Queen Margaret University
- Robert Gordon University
- University of the West of Scotland
- University of Dundee
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Glasgow
- University of Strathclyde
- University of St Andrews
- University of the Highlands and Islands
More questions?
Try browsing through our answers to frequently asked questions about GAs.
Building the future of Graduate Apprenticeships
Following on from the recent consultation on the apprenticeship levy, the Scottish Government has reaffirmed its committed to the expansion of work-based learning opportunities through Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.
Scottish Ministers are committed to increasing the number of Modern Apprentices, including Graduate Apprentices, to 30,000 by 2020. They have expressed their strong support for the expansion of Foundation Apprenticeships, as an important part of its Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) youth employment strategy.
The Scottish Government, SDS and its partners understand the level of investment and commitment needed to meet the scale of ambition. We're confident that, by working with industry, employers, FE colleges and universities, Graduate Apprenticeships will become an embedded part of Scotland’s skills landscape by 2020 and beyond.
Find a Graduate Apprenticeship
There are 11 frameworks available, ranging from Business Skills to Engineering. Find the Graduate Apprenticeship to fit your business.
Did you know?
You can advertise your Graduate Apprenticeship vacancies for free on our site. It’s quick, easy to do and we’ll post it on our vacancy pages, publish it on carefully selected partner websites like Adzuna and My World of Work.
Employer success stories
Hear from other employers about their experience of the Graduate Apprenticeship programme.
Aberdeen Standard Investments
Technical lead at Aberdeen Standard Investments Geoff Webb says that Liam, who is their first Graduate Apprentice, is having a positive impact on the team, and that apprentices like him are crucial to help the business operate successfully.
Diversity is good for business
We want to ensure that apprenticeships are accessible. The benefit for you? A more diverse workforce is good for business. Plus, the funding contribution for disabled people and care experienced young people is at the highest level from ages 16 up to and including 29.
Inclusive recruitment guides
Our short guides give you practical and often low-cost or free measures to source, attract and retain apprentices or employees you might have otherwise overlooked or failed to entice. We’ll offer tips on how you can widen your search for candidates and ensure your selection process is fair to all applicants.
Get expert advice on apprenticeships
We can give you free, one-to-one support, tailored to your business. Contact our Employer Engagement Team for free advice and support to get you started with apprenticeships.
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