SCOTLAND’s first new town may have had its detractors in the past but it is putting itself on the employment map as the location offering the most opportunities for apprenticeships.
East Kilbride, designated Scotland’s first new town in May 1947, is the largest town in south Lanarkshire with a population of more than 74,000 and has previously been nominated for a Plook on the Plinth prize at the Carbuncle Awards.
However, Hijobs – an online recruitment agency based in the Highlands – has revealed that the town last year offered more apprenticeship roles to job seekers than anywhere else in Scotland.
It had 30 per cent more earn-as-you-learn jobs than its bigger neighbour Glasgow, and more than 290 per cent more than the capital Edinburgh.
The new town developed from the villages of East Kilbride and Maxwelltown, and an economy based largely on agriculture and textiles, to become a hub of industrial Scotland.
But East Kilbride – referred to by Theresa May’s press officer earlier this year as East Kilbridge – is among the 20 per cent of areas of the country classed as the most economically deprived in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).
Four years ago, the Scottish Government revealed that more than 11 per cent of the population of East Kilbride were income deprived and 10.9 per cent of its population were employment deprived because of rising costs of living and stagnant wages.
Yet the town is home to the manufacturing plants of some of the largest companies in the world, including Coca Cola, Ultimo and, until fairly recently, engine and car giant Rolls Royce.
East Kilbride has one of Scotland’s most varied manufacturing sectors, from engineering and a busy technology park through to textiles and food.
Frameworks such as Modern Apprenticeships Scotland have played their part in its revival, as has South Lanarkshire Council (SLC), which is recognising ways to help school and college leavers develop their skills in industrial and commercial environments.
Chris Snelgrove, founder of Hijobs, said the town had benefited from the increasing popularity of apprenticeships: “Qualified school and college leavers are no longer choosing to put themselves in debt, especially since an apprenticeship offers candidates a chance to earn and learn.
“Furthermore, employers who take on Modern Apprentices are positive about their experiences, noting improved productivity, morale and quality.”
Pauline Elliott, South Lanarkshire Council’s head of planning and economic development, added: “We work with partner agencies on a range of programmes to get them into employment, including encouraging apprenticeships.
“We are delighted to work with growth businesses in East Kilbride and have supported small and medium sized enterprises in the area to create 147 new entry level jobs for young people in the past year, the majority of whom have been offered apprenticeships by their employer.
“The council’s investment in South Lanarkshire Jobs Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative supported by the European Social Fund is reaping rewards for young people and businesses alike.”
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