Education, Children and Young People Committee 03 December 2025 [Draft]
Good morning. I will speak to amendments 94, 96 to 100 and 119, which are in my name and which all relate to the funding of Scottish apprenticeships and work-based learning, an area that is absolutely central to whether the bill succeeds or fails in its practical purpose.
The bill as introduced moves large responsibilities from Skills Development Scotland to the Scottish Funding Council, yet it does so without providing the clarity, transparency or accountability that such a transfer demands. I have lodged amendments to correct that deficiency and to ensure that the new funding system is coherent, credible and oriented towards Scotland’s long-term economic needs.
At the heart of the amendments lies the clear principle that a skills system cannot function if the funding that underpins it is opaque, unstable or poorly aligned with the needs of learners and employers. Apprenticeships and work-based learning thrive when funding mechanisms are predictable, when they encourage participation and when they incentivise high-quality provision. They falter when funding is inconsistent or unresponsive. The bill, as drafted, risks the latter. These amendments, taken together, aim to secure the former.
Amendment 94 would introduce a requirement that people aged 16 to 24 who are not in full-time education or employment be offered access to a publicly funded apprenticeship or work-based learning opportunity. The amendment speaks to a moral obligation that we have to ensure that every young person in Scotland has equality of opportunity. Far too often, our education system focuses on university as the gold standard. It often forgets about those who are not academically inclined. Amendment 94 would provide a clear legal right to equality of opportunity. It would shine a light on those who have fallen through the cracks in our education system and provide a hand up, not a handout.