'Its a great way to earn while you learn': Benefits of apprenticeships highlighted ahead of awards

Craig Beattie had opted to pursue a career in finance.

Openreach has recruited around 600 apprentices across Scotland in recent years, including more than 60 posts in Edinburgh. Picture: Monty Rakusen.

But he realised it wasn’t the path for him – so he decided to instead take up an apprenticeship with Openreach to pursue his interest in engineering.

Mr Beattie, from Stenhouse in Edinburgh, is now a fully-fledged engineer with the national digital network provider that is supporting next month’s Edinburgh Apprenticeship Awards, hosted by the Edinburgh Evening News.

The firm has recruited around 600 such workers in recent years, including more than 60 posts in the Scottish capital.

The national digital network provider is building a new, ultrafast, full fibre broadband network across the capital. Picture: contributed.

It has also just announced plans to add 275 more trainees in 2021, including 36 posts for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

New recruits come from all backgrounds – from school leavers, lifeguards and veterinary nurses to bus drivers, butchers and bouncers, as well as ex-armed forces personnel.

Openreach is building a new, ultrafast, full-fibre broadband network across the capital. Nearly 100,000 city homes and businesses can now connect to the new network, which is capable of gigabit speeds.

Apprentices work towards their Diploma for IT and Telecommunications Professionals at SCQF Level, honing their skills at Openreach’s national fibre school and training centre in Livingston.

During the past 12 months, training and upskilling continued, with a big expansion in virtual learning running alongside much smaller classes. A virtual studio was built at the centre for creating content and live broadcasts – a concept now being rolled out to all Openreach’s UK training centres.

Mr Beattie said: “I’m a service delivery engineer, dealing with installs, repairs and faults on customers’ telephone lines.”

He added that no two days were the same, saying: “An apprenticeship is a great way to earn while you learn.”

Service delivery director Fraser Rowberry, from Musselburgh, leads Openreach’s 2,500-strong team of frontline engineers across Scotland, having started his own engineering career as an apprentice.

Mr Rowberry said apprenticeships “give young people the chance of a foothold into a valuable career ... they’re also critical to Edinburgh’s economic success”. He said that at Openreach, around 80 per cent of apprentices are still with the organisation after five years.

Award winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony on March 11 – the week after Scottish Apprenticeships Week.

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