Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 19 March 2014
19 Mar 2014 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
European Youth Guarantee
One person lost is one person too many. If the Government is to guarantee opportunities to all 16 to 19-year-olds, it is simply not good enough that 17,000 people have been lost in the system since April. By December, the system had recovered only 2,000 young people, leaving nearly 15,000 lost from the system, while another 5,500 were left looking for a job. How can we meet the four-month target for every young person under 25 if it is going to take Skills Development Scotland five years just to find all the lost 16 to 19-year-olds?
When we look at the spread of apprenticeship opportunities and consider to whom opportunities are being offered, we find that only 2 per cent of construction and engineering places go to women. Less than 0.5 per cent of placements go to disabled people and less than 2 per cent go to ethnic minorities. In a report that was published just last week, Audit Scotland noted concerns about the lack of clarity about the long-term benefits to young people of Scotland’s apprenticeship programme.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-09376, in the name of Angela Constance, on the European youth guarantee. There is sufficient time in han...
The Minister for Youth Employment (Angela Constance)
SNP
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to open this debate on the European youth guarantee. As we have seen from the labour market statistics over the pa...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The minister presented a very robust welcome of the European youth guarantee in her opening remarks, but that view is not shared right across the Scottish Na...
Angela Constance
SNP
I refute that entirely. If Ms Marra reads the entire quote that was attributed to Mr Smith, she will see that he was concerned about the lack of budget assoc...
Jenny Marra
Lab
Will the minister give way?
Angela Constance
SNP
I will in a moment. Our youth employment Scotland and community jobs Scotland initiatives, together with our support to encourage employers to take on gradu...
Jenny Marra
Lab
I thank the minister for giving way. She—I am sorry. I will let the minister continue for now, if that is okay.
Angela Constance
SNP
Well, that was easy. I thank the member. The point that I was trying to make is that key to our interventions is that we are targeting young people early, b...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The European youth guarantee began as a campaign by the Party of European Socialists, of which the Labour Party is a member, back in May 2012, one year after...
Angela Constance
SNP
For the record, I think that I said that we could not deliver the European youth guarantee in full without having the full range of powers over employment se...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
Time can be reimbursed for interventions, Ms Marra.
Jenny Marra
Lab
We absolutely support the European youth guarantee. I thought that I had been quite clear about that, but maybe I can reassure the minister. Right now, we h...
Angela Constance
SNP
It is important that Ms Marra acknowledges that, although we do not know the destination of a very small proportion of young people, despite Skills Developme...
Jenny Marra
Lab
One person lost is one person too many. If the Government is to guarantee opportunities to all 16 to 19-year-olds, it is simply not good enough that 17,000 p...
Angela Constance
SNP
For the record, Ms Marra should accept that the Audit Scotland report acknowledges the huge achievements of the modern apprenticeship programme. For clarity,...
Jenny Marra
Lab
I thank the minister for her clarification—I know what the purpose of an apprenticeship is. In its report, Audit Scotland says that it has doubts about the l...
Maureen Watt (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Jenny Marra
Lab
I have already taken three or four interventions, thank you. Interruption.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Order, please.
Jenny Marra
Lab
I invite Maureen Watt to say that the SNP did not take that position.
Maureen Watt
SNP
I thank Jenny Marra for giving way so that I can clarify the position. If she reads the Official Report and sees what the cabinet secretary said on the matte...
Jenny Marra
Lab
If the SNP members were completely committed to this, they would have voted for the amendment this morning. It is easy to blame others for your own failure,...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The Public Audit Committee had a good meeting with the Auditor General for Scotland this morning on modern apprenticeships—I note that my committee colleague...
Angela Constance
SNP
The evidence shows that 92 per cent of those who undertake modern apprenticeships are in employment six months after the completion of their apprenticeships....
Mary Scanlon
Con
Absolutely. I have become a total anorak on the Audit Scotland report, so I remind the minister that 92 per cent of those who responded to Skills Development...
James Dornan (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Mary Scanlon
Con
Be quick.
James Dornan
SNP
Thanks very much, Mrs Scanlon. Will you accept that the Auditor General or one of her staff said that at least 50 per cent of former apprentices responded to...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I remind members to speak through the chair, please.
Mary Scanlon
Con
The Auditor General’s staff member said that they would clarify in writing to the committee the exact number of respondents. We previously had a £60 million...