A Scottish Government minister has insisted that apprenticeships are “equally as valid” as degrees, but have been left behind in a drive to encourage young people to go to university.
Jamie Hepburn spoke out while hailing a “very important” Press and Journal-backed campaign as an example to the rest of Scotland.
All in for Apprenticeships is a major effort to change perceptions in the north-east, devised by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) with the support of Skills Development Scotland.
The minister for employability and training endorsed the need to end historic misconceptions when he met young Aberdeen Sports Village workers who did not choose a purely academic route.
Mr Hepburn said: “It is very important that we still talk about university and academia as an important pursuit.
“But having promoted that – and it is the right thing to do – we have maybe not been quite so assertive at promoting other options which are equally good and equally as valid.
“That is why it is important to have this type of campaign we are seeing here in the north-east and which I think should be replicated elsewhere.”
Mr Hepburn accepted that old-fashioned attitudes towards apprenticeships were “still prevalent”.
But he added: “That’s why the campaign being run by Developing the Young Workforce here in the north-east – with the willing assistance of the Press and Journal which I’m really grateful for – is very important.
“Stigma is probably putting it slightly too strongly, but certainly – in comparison with academic pursuits – an apprenticeship has been somewhat diminished in stature.
“That is wrong because the apprenticeships we have in Scotland are of an extremely good standard.”
The government aims to have 30,000 modern apprenticeships starting every year by the end of this parliament – and is implementing other pathways such as foundation and graduate schemes.
Mr Hepburn clearly felt apprenticeships had a significant role to play in the region.
He explained: “The oil and gas sector has had a tough time. I think it will bounce back and there will be opportunities.
“But we also need to make sure the north-east’s wider social and economic needs are catered for.
“We have an ambitious target of expanding early years childcare, changed demographics are going to mean increased reliance on social care and we have targets to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years.
“We are going to need a workforce to deliver that.”
