Friday 05 03 2021
Two University of the West of Scotland (UWS) students this week reached the finals of the prestigious Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.
The awards, hosted by Skills Development Scotland, took place virtually last night (Thursday 4 March) as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week. Third year IT: Software Development Graduate Apprentice David Scott made it to the final three in the Graduate Apprentice of the Year category at the annual awards, while first year Paramedic Science student Wiktoria Bak was shortlisted for Foundation Apprentice of the Year.
Twenty-one-year-old David is currently undertaking his Graduate Apprenticeship with Aviva in Perth, where he’s making a big impact on the business.
Key role
Since joining the team, David has played a key role in the upgrade of a crucial company-wide software system. He’s also embracing opportunities outside of his technical role, having been nominated for the Top 100 LGBT+ Future Leader category in Yahoo Finance’s 'Outstanding Awards'.
David said: “I’m getting exposure to lots of different aspects of IT, while studying for a degree. I love my diversity and inclusion work and we have some great initiatives at Aviva. I was proud to be nominated for the LGBT Future Leader award.”
Graduate Apprenticeships give the opportunity to study towards a degree while in paid employment. UWS currently has five Graduate Apprenticeship programmes on offer, including IT: Software Development, Engineering Design and Manufacture, Civil Engineering, Business Management and Early Learning and Childcare.
Wiktoria, meanwhile, was in the final three for Foundation Apprentice of the Year. Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) offer school pupils the chance to gain industry knowledge and insight alongside their other senior phase subjects, studying at college and completing a placement with an employer. Pupils will achieve a recognised qualification at the same level as a Higher, National 5 or National 4 – and it’s recognised by all Scottish universities and colleges.
Eighteen-year-old Wiktoria, who lives in Clydebank, completed her FA in Social Services and Healthcare last year with West Dunbartonshire Council, before joining UWS’s first cohort of Pandemic Science students in September 2020.
The programme offered valuable hands-on experience, and gave Wiktoria the chance to make a real difference in the lives of service users. Whilst on placement in a day-care centre, she was able to use her first language, Polish, to build rapport with clients and translate for colleagues.
Wiktoria said: “My Foundation Apprenticeship taught me about the background of social care in Scotland, which gave me a varied skillset before I started my degree. I’d love to work with the Scottish Ambulance Service one day as my goal is to help at least one person who is in a life-threatening situation.”
Wiktoria, a spoken word poet, also played a starring role in the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards ceremony, performing a poem written for the occasion by Cat Hepburn.
Proud
Professor Milan Radosavljevic, Vice-Principal of Research, Innovation and Engagement at UWS, said: “We are all exceptionally proud of David and Wiktoria for making it to the finals of this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.
“At UWS, we strongly believe in the power of work-based learning, with a real focus on preparing our students with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to thrive in the world of work. David and Wiktoria are shining examples of what can be achieved.”
Watch the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards in full on YouTube.