LAW firm HBJ Gateley and the Scottish Training Federation (STF) have joined forces to offer free employment advice to employers delivering Modern Apprenticeships.

The partnership is announced to coincide with Scottish Apprenticeship Week which runs until Friday and the service will provide STF members with access to expert guidance from HBJ Gateley’s employment law team, to help them meet government targets to improve equality and diversity in their apprenticeship programmes.

The latest statistics published by Skills Development Scotland show that of the 18,245 new Modern Apprentices to have started since last April, only 8 per cent were self-declared as living with a disability and only 1.7 per cent self-declared as being from an ethnic minority group.

It is hoped the initiative will improve diversity by giving employers and training organisations advice on HR issues relating to family-friendly and flexible working hours, discrimination in the workplace and providing equal opportunities through positive action.