Hansard

John Swinney began by saying that the Government’s Scotland can do framework is ambitious. I am glad, because Scotland should have ambition. We have much to be ambitious about. We have a strong historical and current record of entrepreneurship and innovation among individuals and companies and, of course, our greatest asset is our people.

The can do framework recognises the great strengths and opportunities that our nation has and clearly sets out the areas for collaborative action. We recognise the key role that entrepreneurial activity plays in delivering sustainable economic growth. It is important that we consider our strengths and weaknesses, because some things are not as good as they could be.

One of those is the number of women entrepreneurs, which John Swinney mentioned. If we could match the number of men in entrepreneurial fields of work, we could generate much more for the economy. It was interesting that research from the Hunter centre for entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde indicated that, if women’s participation rates matched those of men, that could boost the economy by as much as 5 per cent. Therefore, I am pleased that the Scottish Government announced in March an investment of £85,000 in Women’s Enterprise Scotland to implement actions in the framework.

Female self-employment levels are increasing. It is great to talk about additional jobs, additional entrepreneurship and more people in work, but we must always consider the effects of that. For me, the most important word is “sustainable”. That means that we need joined-up thinking and objectives other than merely growing the economy.

For example, fair work is key to that. I am pleased that, in tandem with the entrepreneurial initiatives that have been announced, we have the fair work convention, which is to provide independent advice to the Scottish Government on workplaces, industrial relations, fair work and the living wage. It is all about the bigger picture, which concerns the objectives of reducing inequality, promoting diversity and equality, and increasing sustainable economic growth to benefit all in the country. I am pleased that the fair work convention’s initial task is developing, promoting and sustaining fair employment and a good framework for Scotland. Those things complement each other.

Something else that is key is social responsibility—it can take many forms—at home and in other countries. My constituency of East Kilbride has many exponents of that, one of which is the Optical Factory. The member for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, who is sitting beside me, would like me to point out that it also has a branch in Hamilton—Christina McKelvie is wearing a pair of the company’s spectacles. The Optical Factory is involved in social responsibility at home and, as Sight Aid International, it operates eye clinics in Kenya and Malawi. That is important work, which is about global responsibility and citizenship.

East Kilbride also has Delivered Next Day Personally, which is a courier service that was started by businessman Bruce Gunn and which provides work for people with disabilities. It is proving to be an extremely efficient and competitive company.

Clansman Dynamics, which is another East Kilbride concern, is a robotic engineering company that, since moving to an employee ownership model, has gone from strength to strength.

I will mention one last company. Some years ago, East Kilbride lad Mick Jackson established WildHearts, with its vision of business for good. Through its micro-tyco competition, his company has passed on entrepreneurial skills and related social responsibility to schoolchildren in East Kilbride and around the world.

That brings me to the final element that is absolutely key: young people. I am pleased that the Scottish Government is providing money to support the delivery of the young innovators challenge, which awards cash prizes to young entrepreneurs who develop life-changing ideas.

As has been mentioned, the level of entrepreneurship among young people is not as high as it should be. They are capable of so very much. I am constantly impressed by the young people in the primary and secondary schools in East Kilbride and beyond that. When I visited the East Kilbride and District Engineering Group Training Association during apprenticeship week, I saw young people who had left school and gone for apprenticeships in engineering, who demonstrated immeasurable skills. I was impressed by the ideas that they had about what they would do once they were qualified.

A lot of what happens is to do with ideas. The Go4SET engineering finals that are run every year for schools will take place in Edinburgh on Friday and, yet again, there is an East Kilbride school in the finals—good luck to Calderglen high school. Over the years, I have been impressed by the skills and the ideas that young people from schools across Scotland have used to put together their environmental engineering schemes.

We have the skills, the resource, the will and the motivation to succeed. It is good that we have a framework that states clearly that, indeed, Scotland can do.