We were delighted to welcome Maureen Burke (MP for Glasgow North East) to our offices recently, where we presented our award-winning project, The Apprentice & The Bee.
Whilst meeting several of our apprentices, we shared the local impact Fourply have built through our long-standing relationship with Glasgow Kelvin College (for over 10 years) – working closely with lecturers, supporting students and recruiting through pre-apprenticeship routes.
The Apprentice & The Bee reflects a simple truth: skills don’t develop overnight – they require: –
▪ the right environment
▪ structure and sequence
▪ patience over time
We also spoke openly about the challenges Fourply are experiencing on the ground, with: –
▪ ongoing skills shortages
▪ an ageing workforce
▪ increasing costs and pressures of apprenticeship delivery
The result is clear – apprenticeships are becoming harder to sustain and it’s beginning to impact recruitment.
While there is clear investment at UK level, from an SME perspective there remains a need for more targeted, practical support to continue developing the next generation.
