Showcase job scheme ‘simply not working’
ONLY around one in five Scots referred to a flagship SNP back-to-work scheme has secured a job, analysis has found.
Nearly 80 per cent of those sent to the Fair Start Scotland scheme between April 2018 and December 2020 have still not found work.
Scotland’s economy and job market are set to be a key focus of the Holyrood election amid concerns about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK Government previously announced that the Job Retention Scheme will end in September 2021, following a series of extensions.
This initiative allows businesses to furlough their workers with state support for wages.
However, there are fears the end of the scheme could lead to significant job losses as industries struggle to recover from the pandemic.
Scottish Conservative economy spokesman Maurice Golden said: ‘This is all too typical of the SNP. They are good at making announcements but ministers fail to back up vital schemes with the resources required to make them successful.
‘Protecting jobs and livelihoods is the top priority as we rebuild our communities from the pandemic, so it is extremely concerning that the SNP are failing so badly to get people into work.
‘For only a fifth of people referred to the programme to have started a job shows this flagship SNP employment project simply isn’t working.
‘If the SNP weren’t so obsessed with another independence referendum while we face huge economic challenges, then this programme would have potentially delivered real results for those seeking work.
‘Only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives can stop an SNP majority and have a parliament fully focused on standing up for people’s jobs.’
Of all those referred, 29,473 people went on to receive employability support, while 11,664 left the Fair Start Scotland scheme early.
Those who were recorded as leaving early did so before the end of their pre-employment support period and without spending at least three months in work.
Figures published by the Scottish Government show that between April 2018 and December 2020, a total of 44,253 people were referred to Fair Start Scotland. So far, 9,484 have started a job.
Of these, 5,567 managed to sustain employment for at least three months, with 3,720 employed for at least six months and 2,135 in a job for at least 12 months.
In May last year, Nicola Sturgeon pledged £33million to support people getting back into work as the economy reopened. She said that most of the funds would go to the Fair Start Scotland scheme.
The latest figures show Scotland’s employment rate fell slightly between November 2020 and January 2021.
The Office for National Statistics revealed that employment rates decreased to 74.3 per cent, down 0.6 per cent from the previous quarter. This has brought Scotland’s figure below the UK rate of 75 per cent.
However, the Labour Force Survey has estimated that unemployment rates decreased over the quarter, by 0.1 per cent. Scotland’s unemployment rate stands at 4.1 per cent, below the 5 per cent rate of the UK.
‘Failing badly to get people work’