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New apprentices for Glasgow
11/02/2009
Glasgow City Council is to be offered additional funding of around £6 million to help create an additional 1000 new Modern Apprenticeship places.
The funding - £2 million a year over the next three years - will enable Skills Development Scotland to work with Glasgow City Council on creating the additional places in 2009-10.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Fiona Hyslop said:
"Last week the Scottish Government set out our plans to substantially increase the number of apprentices in Scotland in 2009-10. Today, I can confirm that we will be offering Glasgow City Council funding to enable it to create an additional 1000 MAs in 2009-10.
"This will ensure that young people in the City who are seeking training places do not suffer due to the impact of the economic downturn. This move will also ensure that Glasgow is able to continue to create the skilled workforce it needs to support ongoing construction projects such as Commonwealth Games building works.
"We look forward to discussing with Glasgow City Council in due course, how to make best use of these additional apprenticeship places for the City, including their commitment in March 2008 to provide 2000 construction apprenticeships. While it will be for the Council to decide how best to deliver the apprenticeships, we anticipate that the majority of the places will be in construction, with others being directed towards other key sectors including the food and drink industry, hospitality and tourism."
Today's announcement follows confirmation by the Scottish Government last week that it is to provide additional funding of £16 million in 2009-10 to increase the number of new starts on Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland to 18,500 in 2009-10 (an increase of 7,800) and a commitment to sustain these individuals in their places for the duration of their apprenticeship.
Ministers also announced their intention to convene an apprenticeship summit involving key players to consider how they can best develop the skills and jobs needed during the economic downturn and how we can improve opportunities during the recovery. It will also explore how the additional MA places can be used to support key sectors, such as the food and drink, hospitality and tourism and energy.
Earlier this month, the Scottish Government announced that as part of its Budget, it would allocate an additional £16 million in 2009-10 to increase the number of new starts on MAs to 18,500 in 2009-10.
The Scottish Government also made clear that it would be hosting an Apprenticeship Summit to discuss how it would use the additional MA places for both young people and adults to support key sectors.
The Scottish Government has also made clear that it would be guaranteeing continued training for apprentices who lose their job due to the current downturn. It will be working with all the relevant organisations to ensure that everything possible is done to find alternative employment to enable them to complete their MA. Where that is not possible, the Scottish Government will ensure they are able to complete alternative, relevant training.
Last year, the Cabinet Secretary made clear that she wanted all MAs to be responsive to employer needs and tasked Skills Development Scotland to work with sector skills councils and training providers to ensure this was the case. To support key sectors in the economy such as tourism, hospitality and construction, we are introducing Level 2 MAs in Food & Drink and Construction, with Hospitality due soon which will provide increased training opportunities for employers, we are supporting the development of a Life Sciences MA and have recently re-introduced funding for adult MAs in areas such as Bakery, Printing and Meat Processing.