SNP’s youth training record attacked

Labour has accused the SNP of watering down an apprenticeships target.

The party’s education spokesman Iain Gray wants the government to reset the target for foundation apprenticeships, claiming reductions will cut off opportunity for young people.

Lasting two years, the apprenticeships enable senior secondary school pupils to learn at the workplace while still at school.

The government committed to providing 3,000 foundation apprenticeships in the next academic year in January 2017.

A year later they said the target was for 2,600 of the places in 2018.

Questioned on wheth-

“Cutting off opportunities for young people”

er the target changed due to budget pressures, Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn told a Holyrood committee the agreed target is for 2,660 foundation apprenticeships and the government “never agreed any other target”.

Mr Gray said: “By watering down these targets, and then denying it, the SNP is cutting off opportunities for young people across Scotland.

“Foundation apprenticeships should be a key aspect of developing young people for further work and training. We should be seeing bolder targets from the government, not watered down commitments.

“The target should be reset.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said said: “We are growing the number of foundation apprenticeship opportunities rapidly from a standing start – from 346 in 2016, to 1,245 in 2017 and to 2,600 in 2018.

“This represents an increase of over 600% over two years.”