// STUDY
Different
Imagine learning and earning at the same time – and we’re not just talking about a parttime job. You could go down a different path and achieve all your goals without having to set foot in a university
DIRECTIONS T
he tables have turned since your mum and dad were at school – in more ways than one. Gone are the days when university was a novelty, as school leavers across Scotland gear up to start their degree… but what if university isn’t for you?
MODERN APPRENTICESHIP
“I didn’t really enjoy school so I thought, if I’m not enjoying high school, what is it going to be like if I do four more years at university?” says Lisa McCabe who successfully completed a Modern Apprenticeship last year. Now working in a full-time job and fully qualified, 18-year-old Lisa from Wishaw believes the benefits of learning whilst you’re earning are fantastic for those unsure about university.
School is a great place to learn new information and gain qualifications but sometimes you miss out on the skills needed to succeed in the ‘real world’. That’s where Skills Development Scotland (SDS) come in. They are the leading organisation in Scotland dedicated to ensuring you get the most out of your future career, whatever route that involves. Noticing school leavers may have a skills gap, SDS introduced Modern Apprenticeships (MAs). An MA is an alternative direction to university where participants can gain qualifications through on-the-job experience. “My brother did an apprenticeship after he left school, an engineering one. Obviously you get paid and you’re learning at the same time. That was quite interesting,
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and then I saw an advert on Facebook for Skills Development Scotland,” explains Lisa who sent across her CV and ended up working for… Source Magazine! Yes, our very own Lisa completed an MA with Source – well, the company we are run by, DC Publishing – and worked her way up from admin assistant to become a production assistant, working closely with sales and design and ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes on the magazine.
POSSIBILITIES
“For some apprenticeships you go to college, but the one I did was all in the workplace. A Modern Apprenticeship is a total of two years, but that’s the maximum time – you usually end up finishing it after a year or just over a
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21/08/2017 12:15
