Businesses have already signed up to employ more than 7,000 modern apprentices in the coming year, it was announced today.

The bookings taken by Skills Development Scotland will allow more than 7,000 young people and adults to start an apprenticeship this month.

The announcement, made at the Skills: Scotland's Opportunity Summit in Edinburgh which included representatives from Scotland's public, private and third sectors, follows last week's announcement to extend both the Adopt and Safeguard an Apprentice schemes.

Skills Minister Keith Brown said: "Today's summit is about bringing those who can help create, support and safeguard jobs together to discuss the best way forward during the next year and beyond.

"The Scottish Government's Skills Strategy and Economic Recovery Plan has been critical in supporting Scotland's emergence from recession, however, we still have a long way to go.

"Following last year's Apprenticeship Summit we were quick to put incentives in place to support businesses. That is why last year we exceeded our target and secured 20,000 modern apprenticeships; supported 15,000 jobs through our economic recovery plan and brought forward £350 million capital investment.

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"Looking ahead to this year, we have around 35,000 training opportunities to support business. The fact that already 7,000 modern apprenticeship places have been secured by business shows that we are listening to employers' needs and responding to their demands.

"Our next step will be to publish a refreshed skills strategy with a renewed focus on the skills needed to support a strong recovery for Scotland with the longer-term aim of sustainable economic growth."

Skills: Scotland's Opportunity is the Scottish Government's Skills and Training Summit being held on April, 27 at Surgeon's Hall in Edinburgh. It will be attended by around 120 representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The Summit will be addressed by the Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning and will provide opportunities for discussion around the key themes emerging from the refresh of the Scottish Government Skills Strategy. Feedback from the event will be considered in the drafting of the strategy, which we aim to publish later in the spring.

Adopt an Apprentice was launched in June 2009 and provides a £2000 incentive to employers to take on a redundant apprentice to help them complete their apprenticeship.

The Safeguard an Apprentice scheme was launched in November 2009 and provides a £75 per week wage subsidy to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises facing difficulties in the manufacturing, construction and engineering sectors to allow them to retain their apprentices. Both of these schemes are part of ScotAction, the Scottish Government's skills support package combining new and improved measures to help individuals and businesses through the recession.

On March 17, 2010 the First Minister announced that around 20,000 people in Scotland had started a Modern Apprenticeship in the past year - exceeding the Scottish Government's target of 18,500.

(GK)