Extra Apprenticeships in Care Sector

The Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary Fiona Hyslop has announced that Modern Apprenticeships in adult health and social care will be more than doubled by opening them to all ages of applicants. Modern Apprenticeships offer people aged over 16 the chance of paid employment linked with the opportunity to train for jobs at craft, technician and management level.

The decision to open the Modern Apprenticeship Framework to adults is part of ScotAction - the Scottish Government's skills support package to help Scotland's economy out of recession and back to economic growth.

This announcement means that an extra 1,250 adult apprenticeship opportunities will be available for the social services sector, including Level 4 Apprenticeships for developing managers in the sector.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) manages the frameworks for awards in:

Health and Social Care
Children's Care, Learning and Development

The SSSC recently consulted with the sector to identify the future requirements for Modern Apprenticeships. Through engagement with the sector, the feedback highlighted the need for Modern Apprenticeships to be open to all ages.

Carole Wilkinson, SSSC Chief Executive, added:

"This is a vital source of funding for training, particularly for those small to medium size organisations and it will have a significant impact on the quality of care workers provide and improve outcomes for people who use services."

For those learning providers who are contracted to deliver these additional Modern Apprenticeships, it is mandatory to have your training provision listed on the national learning opportunities database (NLOD).

To register on the NLOD, please complete the online registration form Register with Skills Development Scotland or contact the Information Services team on 0141 285 6100 for further information.