Rachael Hamilton MSP welcomes National Apprenticeship Week in the Borders.
As the coronavirus pandemic makes employment and training opportunities increasingly difficult for young people, 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 – this could mean an apprenticeship, a traineeship while employed, further or higher education. The key aim of the policy is to prevent young people get stuck in a low skilled employment cycle straight out of school.
This comes as unemployment in the region has risen from 1,775 out of work claimants in December 2019 to 3,505 in December 2020 in all age groups aged over 16.
The Borders MSP is 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.
Mrs Hamilton is in discussions with NHS Borders Estates and Facilities Department to create a Modern Apprenticeships Programme to support the ageing workforce and address the issue of rising unemployment. With funding being a key barrier, she has written to Jamie Hepburn MSP, the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills at the Scottish Government, to discuss potential public funding contributions to support job creation and training opportunities in the Borders.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“Apprenticeships are a core part of our skills system and will be crucial in our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. National Apprenticeship Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight this.
“I 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.
“The Scottish Conservatives are committed to improving the opportunities for our young people, with a new Scottish education guarantee to age 18. Apprenticeships, traineeships or further education would help get our young people on the path to long-term skilled employment out of school.
“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 look forward to exploring opportunities for funding this with Skills Development Scotland and the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills.”