Leven MSP, Jenny Gilruth, was pleased to attend Base as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2023.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is an annual campaign co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland and celebrates the success of the apprenticeship system across our country.
Base is a restaurant that specialises in pizza, pasta and grill food. Currently, the business has two Modern Apprentices working in hospitality and has had over twenty apprentices since opening their doors.
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting all young people to achieve their potential and has a strong track record of tackling youth unemployment through Developing the Young Workforce and the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Commenting, Jenny Gilruth MSP said:
“It was great to meet with Ewan and hear about his background and motivations for offering an apprenticeship scheme within his business.
“Apprentice Chef Elliot was able to show me first-hand how this opportunity has allowed them to hone in and develop new skill sets.
“At the end of last year, there were almost 40,000 Modern Apprentices training in Scotland—a fantastic testament to the support offered through the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland.
“Base are a fantastic example of local businesses developing local talent; they are certainly keeping to this year’s theme of ‘unlocking potential’.”
Owner Ewan Brown added:
” It was great to have Jenny visit Base last week to show her the work we have been doing to continuously develop the skills of young people in our local community with our partner Michelle at MGT.
“Starting as a hospitality apprentice myself at the age of 16, I know how beneficial this is to further the skills and confidence of our young workforce, who have faced many disadvantages throughout their life that have not been of their own making, and giving them the time, patience and opportunity to showcase their talent.
“To date, we have had over twenty apprenticeships in the last four years; some are still with us, others have progressed into other roles, and some have used the UCAS points gained towards their university applications.
“I would encourage any employer to take a chance with an apprenticeship programme. Taking the time to train and develop learners, who would usually be overlooked, has allowed us to create a loyal and confident team and, in turn, their success has become our success.”
