Every year we take on around 25 apprentices across several departments based throughout Scotland. From Trees and Timber to Data Science, and Engineering to Procurement, our apprenticeship opportunities are a great way to enter the working world. Below, you’ll find plenty of useful information on our apprenticeships and discover if they might be the right option for you. 

What is an apprenticeship? 

We offer several types of apprenticeship, but they broadly follow the same path. An apprenticeship allows you to obtain a paying job while also studying for a recognised qualification. This means you get the benefit of studying part-time at college or university towards a degree (or similar qualification) whilst also working in the field and putting the theory into practice.  

Whilst you’ll definitely learn from the traditional text book, you also get the benefit of working alongside full-time, experienced employees in the same role who can offer their insights and knowledge.  

The bottom line is that an apprenticeship allows you to start paid work, while still learning the ropes in both classroom and in the field. 

Hear from three of our Trees and Timber apprentices in the video below to learn about their experiences. Amelia, Robbie and Aidan have all gone on to permanent roles with us.

Which roles can you apprentice in?  

Our apprenticeships are found across several departments, including: 

• Trees and Timber: This is the beginning of many forester roles, learning from a variety of specialists to give you a solid grounding in modern forestry. It includes work from several roles like the Craftsperson (forest maintenance, basic felling, path repair, facilities maintenance, etc), Planning Forester (surveying areas and planning future forests), and Harvesting Foresters (arranging thinning and harvesting operations with contractors).
• Procurement: As a Scottish Government agency, procurement is a vital department which allows all our other teams to function. During the apprenticeships, you’ll learn about the whole procurement process, the intricacies of contract negotiation and impartiality, and begin a journey which could lead to a regulated position in the team.
• Mechanical Engineering: With over 300 forests across Scotland, and around 1,000 employees, we operate a lot of vehicles. From electric cars to mammoth harvesting machines, they all need taken care of by our network of workshops. The Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship allows you to learn and work on all our vehicles and machines, and provide a crucial service to keep FLS running smoothly.
• Civil Engineering: We manage around 9% of the land in Scotland, and we manage one of the biggest road networks in the country – most of it unpaved forest roads. The Civil Engineering apprenticeship is typically a graduate position and puts you in a team responsible for building new roads and paths through forests, designing and installing bridges and drainage, and looking after the infrastructure that lets our staff and visitors get around our forests.
• Unique Positions: Beyond our core apprenticeships, we occasionally have some specialist opportunities. These are typically graduate opportunities and in the past have included areas like Data Science where new computing models are helping our foresters to design and maintain forests to a higher standard. 

When do we recruit for these positions?  

Apprenticeships typically become available prior to specific points in the year to tie in with the start of school or university terms (like September or January).

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