Four Fife College students are celebrating after being awarded a Foundation Apprenticeship Advancement Scholarship by the College’s Scholarship Programme, the Adam Smith Foundation.
Matthew Scott (17), Kyle Peter (17), Harry Anderson (18) and Max McKay (18) have been awarded £500 each to help towards study expenses such as travel, equipment, or other items such as a laptop.
The scholarship awards, available to Fife College students who have achieved a Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) in the last year, supports their transition phase as they move on to the next stage of their learning.
Matthew, from Windygates, completed his FA in Engineering as a Levenmouth Academy pupil and has now started an HNC in Mechanical Engineering at Fife College. Matthew said:
“I feel privileged that I have won the scholarship after all the work and effort I put in when completing the foundation apprenticeship. This means a lot to me because I can continue on the education path while using my financial award to buy myself with a new laptop which will help me with future studies.”
Kyle, from Kirkcaldy, studied for his FA in Software Development while still at Kirkcaldy High School. He has now progressed onto the HNC Cyber Security course at the College. Kyle said:
“This scholarship will benefit me in purchasing equipment to use at home for online learning and for furthering my education in the ICT sector.”
Harry Anderson, from Ballingry, achieved a FA in Business Skills at St Columba’s High School and has now started an HNC in the same subject at the College. Harry said:
“I felt so happy that I had won the scholarship. It means a lot to me as I can use this towards a laptop to use for college-work at home or to take into college.”
Fourth award winner Max, from Dunfermline, undertook his FA in Scientific Technologies at Woodmill High School and has now started his HNC in Applied Sciences at Fife College. Max said:
“I felt ecstatic when I received the email informing me that I had won the scholarship, I will spend the money on a laptop, stationary and other equipment needed for my college course.”
The scholarship awards come as the College expands its delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships to benefit school pupils in Fife with the role out of new SCQF Level 4 and 5 qualifications for S3 to S6 school pupils across the region.
In addition to the SCQF Level 6 Foundation Apprenticeships already on offer, the new offering allows enrolled school pupils to achieve a work-based qualification at an even earlier stage in their learning.
Iain Hawker, Assistant Principal at Fife College, said: “We are delighted to award Matthew, Kyle, Harry and Max this year’s Foundation Apprenticeship Advancement Scholarships.
“Foundation Apprenticeships are a great qualification option for school pupils and this scholarship from the Adam Smith Foundation adds to the many existing benefits that come with choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship while at school.
“We hope these awards will help Matthew, Kyle, Harry and Max make a smooth transition onto their new courses, allowing them to continue to achieve those much-needed skills and progress on to great future careers.”
Working in partnership with Skills Development Scotland, Fife Council and local employers, Fife College offers a number of FA opportunities to young people across Fife. An innovative career pathway, FAs allow students to gain their qualification whilst also undertaking valuable work-based learning to attain the required employment skills and knowledge.
For more information about Foundation Apprenticeships in Fife, visit our apprenticeship pages.
Further details about the College’s Scholarship Programme, the Adam Smith Foundation, can be found here.
Photograph: (Left to right) Fife College students Harry Anderson, Max McKay and Kyle Peter are pictured with their Foundation Apprenticeship Advancement Scholarship awards.
