Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 May 2015
13 May 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Apprenticeship Week
To satisfy her appetite I will give her one thing that the Government can do. It could create an organisation with a structure that speaks to young minority community people, to train them to be able to apply for jobs, go for interviews and go for promotion. There are so many ethnic minority people unemployed just now that it is unreal.
The fact that only 1.4 per cent of people who get places on apprenticeships are from ethnic minorities, when 6 per cent of the young population is from an ethnic minority, is shameful. I can give other figures: 1 per cent of police and less than 1 per cent in the fire service. Shall I go on, or is that enough?
Let me try to help the Government, if I may. I want the Scottish Government to be proactive. I want it to give me interim targets and quarterly reports, to show me what ethnic minority people are achieving in those organisations. I want to see Scotland do better for its minority communities. For example, there is no infrastructure in places such as Aberdeen or Fife. Why not? Why are we not creating that? When will the Government do that? How long will we have these pakora and samosa meetings with no results? I want to see results. Please, for God’s sake, do something for the minority community.
16:37In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-13112, in the name of Roseanna Cunningham, on Scottish apprenticeship week. Members who wish to speak sho...
The Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training (Roseanna Cunningham)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I see the look in your eye and I will try to finish my speech in a little less time than that. Today is an opportunity to prom...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
What the cabinet secretary said about having to overcome societal norms is correct. The cabinet secretary will be aware of the fairly significant discrepan...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
We are looking at the issue very carefully because the difference is significant and we need to understand how it has come about. It will not have happened o...
Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary and the Government for holding this debate to celebrate Scottish apprenticeship week, and I welcome the money that the cabinet ...
Mike MacKenzie (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
SNP
As the person—I think—who trained the first female joiner in Argyll well over 20 years ago, I note, as I am sure Liam McArthur will confirm, that Orkney Isla...
Siobhan McMahon
Lab
Yes, I totally agree, but, depressingly, the example that the member gave is just one in 20 years. I know that that was supposed to be positive, but we have ...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I will continue on the theme of common purpose and agreement. We, too welcome the debate, which takes place as we approach Scottish apprenticeship week and w...
The Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Will the member take a brief intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The member is in her final minute.
Mary Scanlon
Con
I am running out of time—sorry. Another concern is that, although I welcome the Government’s announcements on modern apprenticeship starts, we need to look ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We move to the open debate with six-minute speeches. I call on Gordon MacDonald, followed by Iain Gray. We are very tight for time today. 15:48
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
SNP
The focus for too long, across not just Scotland but also the United Kingdom, has been the view of some parents and educationists that the only path to a suc...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
The story of my family and of what happened in the generation between my father and me is—I think—a pretty typical one for the time. My dad left school at 14...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
You must draw to a close, please.
Iain Gray
Lab
It is also true that the route through night school that my dad followed is now completely closed because of the changes in our college sector. If we really...
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome this debate, which takes place in the build-up to next week’s Scottish apprenticeship week. Over the years, I have met many of the training organi...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on Scottish apprenticeship week. The commission on developing Scotland’s young workforce rightly highlighte...
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
SNP
It is amazing how quickly apprenticeship week comes around each year. I am looking forward once again to hosting an event in the Parliament. It takes place n...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
As other members have done, I welcome the fact that we are having this debate in the run-up to Scottish apprenticeship week. In that context, I very much loo...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
You must close, please.
Liam McArthur
LD
The Government has a decent story to tell on modern apprenticeships, but as the Equality and Human Rights Commission has observed: “we are missing a trick b...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
We are here to celebrate the opportunities for people who are going into apprenticeships. I have listened very carefully to other members on areas in which o...
Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
It is a pleasure to talk about Scottish apprenticeship week 2015. I am glad to see that the target set for 20,000 modern apprenticeship starts each year is o...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
I listened carefully to Hanzala Malik’s comments and I understand that, although he welcomes some things, he has some concerns and criticisms. I would like t...
Hanzala Malik
Lab
I could give the cabinet secretary so many. If the Presiding Officer gave me the time, I could give her examples all day.
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
Can he give me one thing?
Hanzala Malik
Lab
To satisfy her appetite I will give her one thing that the Government can do. It could create an organisation with a structure that speaks to young minority ...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I reiterate our support for the Scottish Government’s motion and the priority that is placed on this very important issue. I add my support for Mary Scanlon’...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
We have not covered all the relevant issues, because there has not been time in this debate about apprenticeships, but would the member accept that the growt...