Meeting of the Parliament 21 January 2016
Although I absolutely acknowledge the success of the awards network and formal youth work in general, I will focus my speech—given the clock, it will be curtailed—principally on individual young people and on the role models that they provide and the contribution that they can make to shaping services.
One young constituent of mine, Michael Hands, is a fantastic example of both of those. Michael, who is visually impaired, recently travelled to Brussels to participate in the European Commission’s day of persons with disabilities event. Last year’s conference focused on children and young people with disabilities, their access to education and how it contributes to the equal participation in society of children and young people with disabilities. Michael has also been appointed to serve as a member of Education Scotland’s young ambassadors for inclusion programme. The ambassadors will share their views and experiences of inclusive education and will act as a voice at a national level. I applaud Education Scotland for launching the initiative and wish Michael and the other participants well with it. It is young people such as Michael who, by their actions, make the voice of young people heard and in so doing remind us all of the kind of good citizens that we are raising, as the minister referred to earlier.
Young adults such as Laura Burdin, another of my constituents, demonstrate that the upcoming generation are just as capable as we were of carving out careers and in so doing acting as an example to their peers. Laura, who is from Carnoustie, was named Skills Development Scotland apprentice of the year and higher apprentice of the year for 2015. After starting her job at a hotel in the town, Laura was quickly promoted, undertook qualifications and is now working for a global hotel chain as a meetings and events co-ordinator. That is another young person from Angus and another young Scot to be proud of.
The young people who I come into contact with as an MSP leave me with every confidence in the next generation. Some have had their achievements marked by awards, but many others contribute in largely unrecognised ways. As the first part of the motion’s title says, we should celebrate the success of our young people, and we should do so in all its guises and whether or not it is publicly recognised.