Rachael Hamilton MSP welcomes Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 in the Borders.
With an ageing workforce and concerns of rising unemployment at NHS Borders Estates and Facilities Department, Mrs Hamilton has written to Skills Development Scotland to make the case for public funding to develop a modern apprenticeship programme supporting job creation and training opportunities in the Borders.
This comes following conversations with NHS Borders and Jamie Hepburn MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills at the Scottish Government, recognising that funding is a key barrier to the creation of the programme.
Highlighting the difficulties our young people have faced during the pandemic, Mrs Hamilton and the Scottish Conservatives have a plan to Power Up Scotland and focus on improving the skills of young people.
This includes a new Scottish education guarantee to age 18, increasing diversity in vocational education provision, a huge expansion of adult learning, and a review of the Apprenticeship Levy. This would require every pupil to continue in a form of skills development until the age of 18, aiming to prevent young people get stuck in a low skilled employment cycle straight out of school.
The Borders MSP is also calling on the Scottish Government to expand their Foundation Apprenticeship programme, with her party aiming to have them on offer in every secondary school in the Borders and across Scotland.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“Apprenticeships are a core part of our skills system and will be crucial in our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 is the perfect opportunity to highlight this.
“I am delighted that so many local employers I have spoken to are so enthusiastic about apprenticeship programmes.
“After discussing the potential for Modern Apprenticeships with NHS Borders, I have written to Skills Development Scotland to pursue crucial funding to make this happen.
“I also want to see the Scottish Government expand their Apprenticeship programme, taking their focus off a divisive referendum and instead focussing on supporting high-quality jobs for our young people and enabling Borders’ businesses to gain skilled workers.
“Guarantees on apprenticeships, traineeships or further education would help get our young people on the path to long-term skilled employment out of school.”