Meeting of the Parliament 25 September 2025
My engagement with the Chambers of Commerce and with Dr Liz Cameron has been extensive over my years as an MSP, and I respect her and the organisation very much. It was great to meet her at such an early juncture. I am keen to listen to the business community’s thoughts, reflections and ideas, not just on the bill but on the skills landscape. I note that the Federation of Small Businesses has come out in support of the bill, so there are different approaches to the legislation among the business community. However, it is clear across the business community that we need to make changes, and I want to work collaboratively with it in the weeks and months ahead. I will meet Liz Cameron again shortly.
As I say, there is general agreement on why we need to change. The considerations about how to do so is where there are differing opinions. I respect those differing opinions, and I have appreciated listening to the reflections on the issue in recent days. I also look forward to hearing from MSP colleagues today.
I want to make it clear at the beginning, as I take up my tenure in this role, that I will not wait to pass and implement the bill before seeking to take initiatives to drive forward the skills agenda, because we do not have the time to allow us the luxury of standing still. For example, I recognise the strong demand for the expansion of graduate apprenticeships, and the need to make the development process faster and simpler. The Government will therefore work at pace to implement changes to how frameworks are developed, from assessing demand to shaping content. That work will start imminently, in close collaboration with universities and employers. The bill will ensure that the streamlined process is effectively overseen by the SFC, which will be tasked with leading it. That is a good example of how and why structural changes must be considered as part of the reform of the skills agenda.