Two University of the West of Scotland graduate apprentices have been recognised with award nominations at this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.

Alexis Smith, final year Civil Engineering Graduate Apprentice with GRAHAM, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Graduate Apprentice of the Year category.

Kirsty Smith, who graduated from the University’s Civil Engineering Graduate Apprenticeship Programme in 2022 and works with Ayrshire Roads Alliance, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Apprentice Ambassador of the Year category.

The Scottish Apprenticeship Awards celebrate the incredible work of Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprentices. They also recognise the dedicated employers, learning providers and individuals who champion apprenticeships.

Fiona Kennedy, Industry Engagement Manager within the Business Innovation team at UWS, said: “The Scottish Apprenticeship Awards are extremely competitive so to have achieved two nominations is a fantastic result and testament to our pioneering Graduate Apprenticeship programme here at UWS."

On behalf of UWS, I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to both Alexis and Kirsty for their nomination.

Fiona Kennedy, Industry Engagement Manager at UWS 

The two award shortlistings follow UWS’s success last year, when IT Software Development Graduate Apprentice, David Scott won Apprentice Ambassador of the Year. David is now Group Culture, Employee Experience and Engagement Manager at Aviva.

University of the West of Scotland’s Graduate Apprenticeship programme provides employers in Scotland with a fully-funded pathway for current employees and new recruits to achieve degrees. 

By investing in their staff through Graduate Apprenticeships, employers are developing their workforce and supporting staff to build their skills to industry and professional standards.

UWS has developed five Graduate Apprenticeships in BA (Hons) Business Management, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, BA Early Learning & Childcare, BEng (Hons) Engineering Design & Manufacture, BSc (Hons) IT: Software Development.

Winners of the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards will be announced during Scottish Apprenticeship Week, from 4 - 8 March 2024.    

The full awards shortlist is available here.