McEwan Fraser Legal in the media

Training just the job to build skills

Every Thursday DGM Training Consultants places an advert for staff in the Evening News and gets an immediate response.

"We get at least five or six calls every Thursday and Friday as the result of a relatively small ad," says company recruitment and marketing officer Veronica McNeill.

"Our business is about connecting employers who have current office junior vacancies to suitable young adults. Once successful in finding employment, we then work with the employee to support them through the a Scottish vocational qualification.

"It's a system which works extremely well for us' says Veronica. DGM Training Consultants has more than 20 years experience in the training industry and is accredited to deliver vocational qualifications in management, business administration, customer services and providing financial services. When someone responds to the ad, I'll have a chat with them about qualifications and experience before arranging a short interview here at the office and hopefully placing them in work.

"We have a good working partnership with Skills Development Scotland and are able to offer funded training to employees aged 16 to 19. We have also recently been successful in securing funded places for adults aged 20-plus for management and providing financial services and 20 to 24-year olds in business admin and customer service."

One of the firms DGM helps is McEwan Fraser Legal. "We have found DGM Training to be very professional in aiding us with recruitment and training of our young apprentices, which has indeed resulted in the Scottish minister for employment visiting us," says Karen Dodds of the firm.

Modern apprenticeships (MA) encourages learning and provides an alternative way to gain a qualification. They are an efficient method of training as all qualifications are workbased and assessed in the workplace. The employee produces a portfolio of evidence providing proof of good practice in work situations. They are required to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and behaviour in a variety of different areas. DGM assesses the evidence against a set of national standards of competence.

So, where does this all lead and who benefits? Well, the employee gains an MA qualification, which is nationally recognised, increasing their confidence and career prospects. The employer gains a valuable member of staff who not only knows what to do in the workplace, but has a sound underlying knowledge and understanding of the business, funded through SDS.

"It's a fantastic job watching young adults grow in confidence and become a valuable asset to their employers. We also see many of the people who come to us following a natural progression," says Veronica.

"The business administration MA level 2 is a good example of this where people working in junior administrative roles develop their skills in IT Systems, office equipment, working with colleagues and customers and often then move on to the business administration level 3 qualification. This is aimed more at experienced employees in administration and secretarial positions.

"Our providing financial services qualifications are suitable for people working in a financial services environment who require technical, core and cross-sector competences.

"The companies we deal with can vary from a small legal office or medical practice up to larger organisations such as McEwan Fraser and Standard Life," says Veronica. "Our adverts in the Evening News reach an equally wide range of people and what we aim to provide is the same thorough training and valuable experience through the MZ programme, which benefits everyone involved."

'Doing things Differently' has proved a major success for a young solicitors and estate agents firm in Edinburgh after they used the Step Forward Scotland initiative to employ four bright Edinburgh teenagers in their firm. The programme has proved so successful for the firm and the teenagers that SMP, Alasdair Allan, will be visiting them to meet and congratulate the four who now all play an important role in the success of the business.

The company wanted to give young people the chance to enter the world of work and gain new and valuable skills, while also gaining formal qualifications. The four young employees, aged between 17 and 20, all work in key areas of the business in our post production and photography department, our property department and reception. All gaining experience working with creative software, schedule layout, Home Reports and publishing, marketing, reception, administration and customer services.

The first two teenagers who joined the firm on the scheme in August last year, have now successfully completed their SVQ Level 3 in Business Administration and Young Apprenticeships. The other two teenagers are still currently on the scheme and working towards their formal qualifications and permanent appointment, later this year.

The firm, who opened its doors in the middle of a recession and a slow housing market, are changing the way people buy and sell property, having bucked the trend by its innovative and proactive approach to business. McEwan Fraser Legal is now the fastest growing solicitors and estate agents in Scotland, having taken on 28 people in the last 12 months. Ivan Ralph, Senior Partner commented "Our motto is 'Doing things Differently'. We also take this approach to our staff and giving young people the opportunity to gain experience and qualifications. They are able to input their ideas into the business and play a key role in the success of our business all fits into our company's ethos."

Step Forward Scotland is a new initiative from the Scottish Government, the European Social Fund and Skills Development Scotland that is committed to helping Scottish businesses and young people aged between 16 and 19, who are just out of school or college. McEwan Fraser Legal has worked in close partnership with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce's Edinburgh Jobs Fund to create sustainable employment for these four young people. The Edinburgh Jobs Fund is a programme to help individuals into employment and improve their chances on the career ladder through experience and training. The programme offers paid work placements for individuals living in Edinburgh who want to work with local companies.

The young candidates were introduced to the company by training providers Recruitment Training Limited and DGM Training. "I was most impressed by the calibre of candidates the training providers put forward. The people we interviewed were well prepared - from their CV's to how they responded during their interviews which I think is due to the input of the training providers," said Mrs Karen Dodds, Practice and Business Development Manager for the firm.

The four young apprentices, Sarah Hackland (19) from Granton, Kerri Kivlin (20) from Meadowbank, Lewis Cation (17) from Corstorphine and Melissa Brown (18) also from Corstorphine all said that people in their age group find it very difficult to get a job.

"The Young Apprentice scheme has made a big impact on my life. Before I joined McEwan Fraser Legal on the scheme, I was unemployed with a HNC Business from Jewel and Esk College. Today, I am permanently employed in a successful company with experience in various aspects of a solicitors and estate agency practice. I now also hold a SVQ Level 3 in Business Administration," said Kerri Kivlin.

Launching the Awards, Minister for Learning and Skills Alasdair Allan said: "Every young person deserves the best chance and the right choice for them. A modern apprenticeship today is very different to the modern apprenticeship of the past. It is just one of the many routes for 16 to 25 year olds to continue their learning and skills development to prepare themselves for the industries of the future.

"These awards recognise the impact that the Modern Apprenticeship programme has, both on the life chances of the individual apprentice and the positive contribution to their employer and the wider economy. I am therefore delighted to launch these awards and look forward to hearing all about the contenders in the weeks and months ahead."

The Awards celebrate the significant contribution apprentices, employers and partners have made to the development of the Modern Apprenticeship programme and Scotland's economy.

One such company is Edinburgh legal property firm McEwan Fraser who took on two apprentices in 2010 and recently took on two more. Practice manager Karen Dodds is clear about the benefits the apprentices have brought their fast-growing business. "We have invested in them and their training and are delighted with their contribution to our company." she said.

Karen urged more employers to open their doors to people and offer apprenticeships. "We did and we have been delighted with the hard work and commitment of this group of apprentices," she said.

The 2011 Award categories have been revised to reflect the changing face of apprenticeships and now include young construction and production apprentice of the year, young service apprentice of the year, adult apprentice of the year, and advanced apprentice of the year.

Employer awards include categories for businesses with fewer than 50 workers, for companies with up to 250 and over 250 employees. There is a partnership award for groups who can show their commitment to apprentices.

A new Best Business Newcomer award will be given to a company - from any sector - which has shown a commitment to Modern Apprentice training.

The Awards ceremony is planned for Wednesday 7 December at Glasgow Science Centre.

via News Distribution Service of the Central Office of Information