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Plans to improve skills of young Plans to improve skills of young
(1 day later)
Scottish Labour is launching a bid to expand training opportunities for young people by delivering almost 30,000 modern apprenticeship places. Plans to give every 16 to 18-year-old the right to an apprenticeship have been unveiled by Scottish Labour.
The plans will be unveiled by Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander and skills spokesman John Park in a bill to be put before the Scottish Parliament. The proposals, to be put before the Scottish Parliament in a bill, could deliver almost 30,000 places.
The bill proposes to establish a right to undertake an apprenticeship for those aged between 16 and 18. The Scottish Government refused to back the plans, claiming it was wrong to force employers to take on apprentices.
Ms Alexander said building Scotland's skill base was "vital" for the economy. The bill was unveiled by MSP John Park, who left school at the age of 15 to work as a trainee electrical fitter at the Rosyth Dockyard in Fife.
There will be fewer low skilled jobs in the future and therefore less opportunity for unskilled young people to enter the job market straight from school Wendy AlexanderScottish Labour leader The Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP launched the plans - also opposed by the Liberal Democrats - at the Carnegie College's school of engineering and technology, formerly the dockyard's apprentice training centre.
The bill's consultation is being launched at the Carnegie College's school of engineering and technology in Fife, which was formerly the Rosyth Dockyard apprentice training centre. In Rosyth, it's not unusual for companies that use the school of engineering and technology to have over 300 applicants for 10 positions John ParkLabour MSP
The centre is training the next generation of skilled workers who will assemble the new Royal Navy aircraft carriers as well as apprentices for companies across Scotland. The centre is training the next generation of skilled workers who will assemble the new Royal Navy aircraft carriers as well as providing apprentices for companies across Scotland.
Speaking ahead of the launch Ms Alexander said: "The building of the skills base of the Scottish workforce has never been more vital to our economic success. Mr Park said: "Apprentice numbers in Scotland have increased significantly over the last 10 years, however, quality vocational training opportunities are increasingly hard to come by and modern apprenticeships have hundreds of applicants for every place.
"It needs to be recognised that there will be fewer low skilled jobs in the future and, therefore, less opportunity for unskilled young people to enter the job market straight from school." "Today, in Rosyth, it's not unusual for companies that use the school of engineering and technology to have over 300 applicants for 10 positions."
Competitive market A Scottish Government spokeswoman said ministers were committed to increasing appropriate training places to 50,000 over the next three years and expanding modern apprenticeships.
Mr Park, who was a former apprentice at the dockyard, added: "Apprentice numbers in Scotland have increased significantly over the last 10 years, however, quality vocational training opportunities are increasingly hard to come by and modern apprenticeships have hundreds of applicants for every place. "Compelling employers to recruit apprentices through legislation is not the answer," she added.
"Today, in Rosyth it's not unusual for companies that use the school of engineering and technology to have over 300 applicants for 10 positions." "Rather than just have more apprentices, we will improve the quality, while expanding the reach of the modern apprenticeship programme."
He added that one Glasgow building company recently had about 2,400 people applying for 75 construction-based apprentice positions.
"As a former apprentice here in the dockyard I know the difference good quality training can make to the lives of young people," Mr Park added.
"An apprenticeship gives you not just technical skills but core skills that will give you an edge in what will become in the future an increasingly competitive labour market."