When Atos first came to Moray, it was at the time of the UK Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review and the subsequent closure of RAF Kinloss. This saw large numbers of talented and technically qualified ex-military personnel entering the local job market. Working in partnership with HIE and Skills Development Scotland, Atos was able to capitalise on these circumstances and secure a skilled base for its workforce.
To build on this solid foundation, however, Atos also sought to recruit and train young local people from day one. First introduced in 2010, the Atos Apprenticeship Scheme has been widely recognised for its quality by several national UK and Scottish awards.
In the last three years, Atos has recruited and trained nearly 100 highly skilled apprentices in Scotland (in Forres, Glasgow, Livingston, Linwood and Dundee), including 35 cyber security apprentices located at their Moray Development and Innovation Centre. The programme includes a permanent contract from day one, formal training, development programmes, and qualifications through QA, Atos’ training provider.
Atos is one of the UK’s top apprentice employers by RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk’s Top 70 School Leaver Employers Table 2017.
“We are very proud to lead the way in offering highly skilled apprenticeships for young people across Scotland, especially in areas like cyber security where there is a need for more skilled professionals,” explains Owen.
“We are incredibly lucky to have such bright and motivated young people locally in Forres, Elgin and slightly further afield who are employed by Atos. We value highly the work, dedication and skill of our apprentices, who have added a new, fresh dimension to the business over the years. Working here at Atos, and with the support of HIE and Skills Development Scotland, they have been given an opportunity to build a really good career in technical areas where we see our business continuing to growing for many years to come.”
Focus on Cyber Security
One particular focus for growth is the field of cyber security where there continues to be a skills shortage worldwide. Atos has recognised the extent of the cyber skills challenge and has already embarked on a proactive future-skilling programme with their UK workforce.
Following the launch of the Government Apprenticeship Levy, designed to increase the number of apprentices, Atos, in conjunction with its learning partner QA, now offers opportunities to complete training and certification that will result in apprenticeship accreditation at different levels. This includes providing a range of pathways designed to enable technical graduates coming straight from numerate disciplines, experienced professionals looking to change careers, degree apprentices or non-tech graduates converting to technology roles to pursue the learning and certification needed to develop a career in cyber security.
In addition, Atos continues to recruit graduates to its 12-week Cyber Security Academy, which is accredited by the Universityof Derby.
“Yes, we continue to grow our cyber security capability in Moray,” confirmed Owen. “We are also proactively developing future skills within our workforce through our ‘Future Fit’ programme, that invites employees to join a Digital Growth Network in Cyber Security. This enables them to follow a long-term curriculum of learning, including certification, alongside their current roles, to keep in-step with the evolving cyber threat and benefit from mentoring from our more experienced cyber security professionals.
“All this accelerates the readiness of employees to apply for cyber security roles in our business, and for Atos to continue to be the number one European and a global leader in cyber security. It’s an important aspect of our business growth which enables us to support our clients on their digital journey.”
