Meeting of the Parliament 19 March 2014
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 past few months, there is no doubt that tackling youth unemployment remains one of the biggest national challenges that we currently face in this country. Six months from now, the people of Scotland will have their say on the constitutional future of our country, and they will decide whether the decisions on issues such as the youth guarantee are better made by the people who live and work in Scotland. Between now and September, we all have a duty to set out our vision for the future of our country. That is a historic decision, and it is right that we have a robust debate on the issues that concern all of us.
Our young people have a critical role to play in our securing long-term, sustainable economic growth. I hope that this debate offers an opportunity for us to develop a cross-party, cross-Government consensus, at least in Scotland, on developing a positive vision for our young people.
In January 2013 I expressed my support for the principles of the European Commission’s youth guarantee, which would provide young people with the support that they need to progress to employment within four months of becoming unemployed and to be offered a job, an apprenticeship, a traineeship or a place in education. It is a bold but compelling vision of how we could align the delivery of existing services and use domestic and European funds to develop new solutions to support young people. I remain absolutely convinced that early intervention is vital if we are to avoid young people becoming long-term unemployed.
It would surprise me—and I believe that it would be unacceptable to the people of Scotland—if the Scottish Parliament adopted a less ambitious vision for our young people than some other nations are currently committed to delivering. Are our young people less deserving than those in Finland, Denmark or the Netherlands? Are our young people less able or less ambitious than their fellow European citizens, such as those in the Czech Republic? My answer is that they most certainly are not. Are we so set in our ways and so aligned to party loyalty or so lacking in ambition that we cannot develop the partnerships that will drive the delivery of the guarantee that our young people deserve? I most certainly hope not.
It is clear from other countries that have adopted the guarantee that aligning employment, skills, benefits and taxation policy is crucial if we are to improve how we tackle youth unemployment and inactivity, and improve education-to-work transitions. That is why I am keen to engage with the Westminster Government and, indeed, others to persuade them of the value of developing a more positive offer for our young people and of the merits of the European youth guarantee.