This is our own independent research from public sources. The employer hasn't reviewed, paid for or approved it.
Key figures
- Minimum share of the council's workforce it commits to being apprentices, under the Edinburgh Guarantee
- 1%
- Source: City of Edinburgh Council (opens in a new tab)
- Qualification levels offered: SCQF Levels 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 (degree level)
- SCQF 5–7, 9–10
- Source: City of Edinburgh Council (opens in a new tab)
- Modern Apprenticeships are for people who left school within this time (with exceptions)
- 3 years
- Source: City of Edinburgh Council (opens in a new tab)
Overview
The City of Edinburgh Council runs local services for Edinburgh. As part of the Edinburgh Guarantee, it commits to at least 1% of its workforce being apprentices.
Three kinds of apprenticeship
| Foundation | Modern | Graduate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | While you’re in S5 or S6 | After school | Any age |
| Paid? | No, unpaid placements | Yes | Yes |
| Contract | Not applicable | Fixed-term, 2 or 4 years | Fixed-term, 4 years |
| Qualification | SCQF Level 6 | Recognised qualification | SCQF Level 9 or 10 (degree level) |
The council currently offers Foundation Apprenticeships in its early years teams. Our Scotland guide explains how Scotland’s three types of apprenticeship work.
Who can apply for a Modern Apprenticeship
You can apply if you:
- left school within the last 3 years, or
- are aged 16 to 29 and are care experienced or disabled, or
- already work for the council and want to be qualified for your role.
The council counts you as care experienced if you were looked after by a local authority at any point in your childhood, at home under a legal order or away from home in foster, kinship or residential care.
What they don’t tell you
The programme page doesn’t publish pay or the full list of roles, so check each advert.
What they do
The City of Edinburgh Council runs local services for Edinburgh, from schools and early years to housing and roads.
Apprenticeships at City of Edinburgh Council
-
Foundation Apprenticeship
Early years teams
Unpaid work experience while you're in S5 or S6 at school, usually one afternoon a week, leading to an SCQF Level 6 qualification funded by Skills Development Scotland.
-
Modern Apprenticeship
Roles across the council
A paid fixed-term contract of two or four years depending on the role, with a recognised qualification.
-
Graduate Apprenticeship
Roles across the council
A four-year fixed-term contract leading to a qualification at SCQF Level 9 or 10 (degree level). Open to people of all ages.
Pay calculator
Pick the pay, the city and your age to see roughly what you'd take home each month after tax, and what's left after travel and rent.
Left for everything else
Career areas
City of Edinburgh Council entry requirements
- Modern Apprenticeship
- You must have left school within the last 3 years, or be aged 16 to 29 and care experienced or disabled, or already work for the council.
Who can apply
- Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships are fixed-term contracts, of two or four years for Modern Apprenticeships and four years for Graduate Apprenticeships.
- Foundation Apprenticeship placements are unpaid and taken while at school.
Our tips for City of Edinburgh Council
- If you've been looked after by a council at any point in your childhood, you count as care experienced, which extends the Modern Apprenticeship age limit to 29.
- If you're in S5 or S6 and interested in early years, ask your school about the council's Foundation Apprenticeship.
- Contracts are fixed-term, so ask what usually happens at the end.
- Pay isn't on the programme page, so check each advert.
Summary
- The City of Edinburgh Council offers Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, at SCQF Levels 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10.
- It commits to at least 1% of its workforce being apprentices, as part of the Edinburgh Guarantee.
- Modern Apprenticeships are for people who left school in the last 3 years, or 16 to 29 year olds who are care experienced or disabled.
- Modern Apprenticeships are fixed-term contracts of two or four years.
Questions about City of Edinburgh Council apprenticeships
Does the City of Edinburgh Council do apprenticeships?
Yes. It offers Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, at SCQF Levels 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10, and commits to at least 1% of its workforce being apprentices.
Who can apply for a City of Edinburgh Council Modern Apprenticeship?
People who left school within the last 3 years, people aged 16 to 29 who are care experienced or disabled, and current council employees who want to qualify for their role.
How long is a City of Edinburgh Council apprenticeship?
Modern Apprenticeships are fixed-term contracts of two or four years, depending on the role. Graduate Apprenticeships are four-year fixed-term contracts.
Can you do a Foundation Apprenticeship with the council at school?
Yes, in early years teams. You do unpaid work experience while in S5 or S6, usually one afternoon a week, towards an SCQF Level 6 qualification. Our Scotland guide explains Foundation Apprenticeships.
Which other employers have apprentices in Edinburgh?
See our Edinburgh page for the employers we've researched there.
Sources and review
Last reviewed . Details can change after this date, so check the official source before you rely on them.