Ministers set out £50m plans to tackle Covid-19 youth unemployment fears

The Scottish Government is to invest £50 million to support youth employment, as part of a blueprint to tackle the economic crisis looming as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed yesterday that ministers will take forward the Scottish Job Guarantee for younger Scots as part of the response to a recent report from former Tesco Bank chief Benny Higgins.

Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeship places are also to be embedded as part of college and university provision, according to the report published yesterday.

Ms Hyslop said: “We all acknowledge the scale of the challenge facing Scotland’s economy as result of Covid-19, but we also recognise this is an opportunity to do things differently and crucially to rebuild a stronger, fairer and greener economic future.

“The Scottish Government’s focus will be on protecting jobs, creating jobs, ensuring quality jobs and supporting skilled jobs.

“We are working quickly to achieve this and many of the actions outlined today are already well under way.”

A Transition Training Fund will also be established to support people in Scotland facing redundancy and unemployment in the sectors worst hit by the pandemic.

But Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie branded the proposals “a recipe for ticking along, not one for firing up the economy”.

He said: “We are facing an unprecedented economic crisis, that calls for unprecedented action.

“The First Minister has suggested she is sympathetic to my proposals for a basic income, to support all of those who fallen through the gaps in the existing financial support schemes. Yet there is nothing here about how that might be delivered.”