Meeting of the Parliament 19 November 2025
[Interruption.] Apologies, Presiding Officer. There were some odd flashing lights on my console—hence my swift manoeuvre.
I have a speech prepared, but I first want to reflect on the evidence that we took this morning at the Economy and Fair Work Committee, which is carrying out a short inquiry on artificial intelligence. We were told this morning that we have a three-to-five-year period after which we face the very real prospect of billion-dollar businesses with a single employee. We heard that the level of change in the way in which we organise and run businesses will also apply to public administration, and that we need to get the workforce ready now. We have three to five years, yet the Government is embarking on the sort of bureaucratic reorganisation that might take three to five years before we can even get going. That is the problem.
Scotland is bursting with ambition and potential, but our broken skills system is letting people down and holding the country back. Too many people with talent and aptitude do not have access to the training and opportunities that they need. Youth unemployment is rising, skill shortages are endemic and, across the economy, levels of in-work training are plummeting. That results in businesses whose growth is held back and an economy that is stifled. Most importantly and tragically, it results in individuals being denied opportunities and, indeed, better wages. That is because the Government has failed to prioritise skills for several sessions of Parliament.