Meeting of the Parliament 25 October 2023
I think that one thing on which we can all agree is that this is a very important debate. I welcome the fact that the Labour Party has brought it to the chamber as its topic of choice.
The importance of skills was brought home to me just before I came to Parliament for this debate today, when I visited the national robotarium at Heriot-Watt University. I was admiring that amazing state-of-the-art facility that is going to prepare Scotland for the rest of the 21st century by looking at the role of robotics and artificial intelligence, and it reminded me how quickly our society, our economy and the world are changing. That is why this debate is so important.
Scotland has two key windows of opportunity. We have the net zero and energy transition, which will bring great jobs and wealth to this country, and we have the high-growth sectors such as the tech sector, which represent another massive window of opportunity. Getting the skills right for the future is therefore vital.
We are at a crossroads. If we take the right road, we have big prizes to win and secure for our country and its future, in particular the future of our young people. That is why the Scottish Government commissioned the Withers review of Scotland’s skills system: because now is the time to undertake a review and fix the system over the next few years. We have to get that right if we are going to capture those prizes of the future.
The reviews that we have undertaken have highlighted that there is widespread confusion about current public body roles and responsibilities, and they have recommended reform. That is what we are debating today, and what the Scottish Government is now considering. We have accepted the basis of many of the recommendations made by James Withers. We have to take the time to get reform in this area right, because it is so important. I welcome—as I am sure that all members do—the minister’s commitment to work to build consensus and speak to members on all sides of the chamber.
What that means, in the face of the fast pace of change in the Scottish economy and the global economy, is that we need a skills system and an education system that is agile and flexible, in which our colleges and universities in particular are able to upskill, reskill and deliver lifelong learning in a genuine, meaningful way. It is said that while people today may have three or four jobs in their lifetime, tomorrow it will be three or four careers in a lifetime. That is why we need a system that is agile and fit for purpose.