Helping young workers in Caithness and Sutherland get a head start in local industries

Trudy Morris, chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, says the Caithness Business Fund has helped 13 apprentices over the last 12 months

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration of apprenticeships. Taking place next week – from Monday to Friday – it’s the time for everyone to shout about the benefits work-based learning brings to businesses, people and the economy.

To mark the occasion, the Caithness Business Fund is reflecting on the benefits of work-based learning for the local business sector and wider community.

In 2024, the Caithness Business Fund – supported and administered by the Caithness Chamber of Commerce – supported 13 businesses to hire apprentices and provide training across a wide range of roles.

Over the past year, the fund has supported modern apprenticeships in vehicle repair and maintenance, cooking, welding and fabrication, electrical, plumbing, hairdressing, business administration, and more.

Apprenticeships play an invaluable role in creating jobs locally and in preparing the region for the jobs of the future.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of the FutureSkills apprenticeship grant scheme, supported by Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and West of Orkney Wind Farm. Grants of up to £24,500 were available for a period of three years.

The FutureSkills scheme supported mechanical engineering firm Gow’s Lybster to hire Scott Mackay-Sutherland for an SVQ Level 3 apprenticeship in Fabrication and Welding.

Business and finance director Sandra Gow said: “We are delighted to be able to provide school leavers the opportunity to carry out an apprenticeship in the county where they’ve grown up. Apprentices provide a pipeline of skilled, dedicated talent, tailored to the company’s specific needs.

“This helps to reduce recruitment costs, boost employee retention, and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation, ultimately contributing to the long-term business growth and success of the company.”

Sandra added: “We believe in nurturing home-grown talent and Scott has certainly lived up to our expectations. He has shown himself to be a very talented individual who absorbs a wealth of knowledge from his supervisors and the rest of our qualified team.”

Scott said apprenticeships are important for job creation in the region. “I am thankful that the industry offers these opportunities in such a distant area, yet so close to home. It is crucial that the younger generation in the north of Scotland has access to these opportunities. I want to thank Sandra and [managing director] Wullie for providing me with the opportunity.”

Sandra added that thanks to the support of Caithness Business Fund, Gow’s has been able to add two additional apprenticeships in 2025, taking their total number of apprentices to five.

There is longstanding demand in the north Highlands for apprenticeships in the trades, including engineering, welding, electrical and plumbing. However, the past year has also seen new opportunities created outside of these fields. In 2024 the Caithness Business Fund also supported apprenticeships in hairdressing and cookery.

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Award-winning Thurso salon Hair at 21 took on Roni Wares for a Level 3 Hairdressing Modern Apprenticeship. Roni said: “I have always wished to train and work as a hairstylist and am very grateful for the opportunity with Hair at 21. I’m learning a great deal working with Ros and the team on the shop floor and with our customers. It is great to have the real practical experience.”

Salon owner Ros Hook said that in-salon styling, colour training and customer care are valuable learning experiences for hairdressing apprentices. “Our apprentices are an integral part of the team, and we are very pleased to have Roni with us in her first-year apprenticeship,” said Ros.

She added: “I am very keen to develop our apprentices, working with UHI North, West and Hebrides in Thurso, and they feed into our Hair at 21 business plan. We really appreciate the support from the Caithness Business Fund.”

Over at Blargoans in Dunnett, Archie Martin is working on his SCQF Level 5 Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery. Archie joined Blargoans as a seasonal kitchen porter when he was just 16, and the following year expressed an interest in becoming a chef.

Company manager Theresa MacGregor said: “Caithness Business Fund and UHI North, West and Hebrides enabled us to employ Archie and put him through his apprenticeship in Professional Cookery at the Northern Sands Hotel. Archie is a credit to the team and himself by learning and developing self management skills as well as the obvious chef skills.

“He’s learning hands-on while being able to use that to count towards his course work, which benefits us and him.”

Archie added: “The apprenticeship I participated in was enjoyable and engaging. I have so far learned a lot of useable skills such as special set-up for allergies, as well as proper preparation of meats.

“The apprenticeship will hopefully set me up for a long-term role as a chef. I would recommend it to anyone else thinking about pursuing a career in hospitality.”

At the chamber, we are thrilled to see such a vibrant year in terms of apprenticeship funding, with 13 local businesses supported in the last financial year alone. As ever, we are grateful to our funders for their role in supporting the north Highland economy.

Everyone who lives in Caithness and Sutherland knows it’s a real privilege to grow up here, but it’s not without its challenges. The chamber hopes to continue to grow the apprenticeship fund alongside our partners, to invest in the future prosperity of the north.

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