The funding differs, depending on which type of apprenticeship you choose.

Your first step is to create a fantastic vacancy. We can help you get it in front of as many people as possible.

• If you know what you're looking for, head over to apprenticeships.scot. More than 31,000 people visit the site every month and you can advertise vacancies for free – it's quick and easy.
• We can help you reach more people with your apprenticeship vacancy. Check out our guide on inclusive recruitment.
• Need some help getting started with apprenticeships? Our team can help you create an apprenticeships plan.

There are a range of apprenticeship levels and frameworks available to you.

• Foundation Apprenticeships give senior school pupils real experience of the world of work. They'll work towards an industry-recognised qualification while doing a placement with your business.
• Whether you're hiring someone new or upskilling an existing employee, Modern Apprenticeships are a great solution. A Modern Apprentice is a full-time employee who'll also work towards a qualification.
• Graduate Apprentices will work for you 80% of the time, dedicating 20% of their time to developing skills at university or college.

Learn about the frameworks available within each type of apprenticeship on apprenticeships.scot.

Apprenticeships are a great method of attracting fresh talent to your business. They're also a valuable way to upskill and reskill your existing employees. Here are some of the benefits:

• apprenticeships help secure the skills your business needs
• as an employer, apprenticeships open up career opportunities for your current or future employees
• there are more than 100 types of apprenticeships available in Scotland – from construction to digital media
• Skills Development Scotland will give you information, guidance and support
• with access to a wider pool of talent, apprenticeships can diversify your workforce

Check out our range of apprenticeships support on apprenticeships.scot.

A structured induction process will help new starts settle into their role quickly.

• Explain what the apprentice will do on the first day, week and month.
• It's useful to assign new employees a 'buddy'. This is a colleague who understands their area of work, not a manager or superviser. They'll be able to answer any questions about the organisation, department or job role.

Whichever part of recruitment you're struggling with, we can help.

• Want to learn how to find new employees? Our talent attraction section should be your first step.
• Are you struggling to retain employees? Our Skills Management Tool will provide you with the latest advice on how to keep your staff.
• Have you thought about widening your recruitment process? It'll help you attract more talented workers from a range of different backgrounds. Our inclusive recruitment guides will show you how to do it.

First of all, our recruitment guides will show you how to make your recruitment process as inclusive as possible.

You can also diversify your workforce by teaming up with equality organisations.

Here are three top tips to recruit more effectively:

1. if you're not doing so already, consider recruiting internally. Promoting from within can help boost employee morale. Read our guides to succession planning and upskilling and reskilling.
2. have you considered lowering entry levels? This'll encourage more people to apply, meaning you can run the rule over lots of candidates at the interview stage.
3. our inclusive recruitment guides will also help you widen the appeal of your job vacancies.

Keep an eye on our funding and training page. Any funding opportunities which become available will be included here.

Although, have you thought about using apprenticeships as a low-cost way to train and upskill employees? Modern and Graduate Apprentices are full-time employees who also work towards a valuable qualification.

Our Skills Discovery Tool can help you identify learning needs within your workforce. The first part is a Role Comparison, which gives you an overview of the skills gaps in your business and helps you make a plan for change.

The second part is an Organisational Skills Profile. This highlights the areas where your organisation needs strong knowledge and skills.

• You can use apprenticeships to develop your employees.
• Thought about upskilling your employees with equality training? We have an Excel spreadsheet full of equality organisations who can help you do this.

• Keep an eye on our funding and training page. We'll update this with the latest information about free training.
• Find a range of training guides and information on Find Business Support.

There are several ways we can help you engage with young people.

• Offer Foundation Apprenticeships! You'll give senior school pupils real workplace experience.
• Marketplace connects your business to local schools and colleges.

It's great that you've recognised the importance of working with local schools. There are a couple of ways you can approach this.

• Engage with schools through Marketplace. This is an online tool which connects schools and colleges with businesses.
• Take on a Foundation Apprentice. You'll work with S3 to S6 pupils to help shape the next generation of talent.

A great work culture is one that prioritises the wellbeing of employees. It should offer support at all levels with policies that encourage respect, trust and empathy.

The good news is that we can help your business create a strong sense of culture. Get in touch with our team for advice.

Yes, absolutely!

Our Skills Management Tool will generate a skills action plan for you. We'll ask you questions about your business, strengths and ambitions. It won't take long to complete and you can save your progress then come back to it later.

If you've completed the tool and still have questions, get in touch with our team.