Education, Children and Young People Committee 03 December 2025 [Draft]
Amendment 181 is in the name of my colleague Daniel Johnson. It would replace the apprenticeship committee established by the bill with an industry skills board that would include representatives from levy-paying businesses, SMEs, colleges, independent training providers and trade unions.
The skills board would be led by a senior figure from industry and would have a defined role with regard to apprenticeship standards, using the SAAB terms of reference as a starting point. It would strengthen employer input to and endorsement of the strategic direction of apprenticeships and work-based learning pathways, thereby supporting the apprenticeship system to meet the needs of industry. It would ensure the alignment of apprenticeships with economic growth and job opportunities. It would set and maintain the guiding principles for the core requirement of apprenticeship frameworks that they must produce a competent, highly skilled and flexible workforce.
It would inform and make recommendations on the priorities for development and continuous improvement activities, including in the area of equalities. It would provide advice on relevant matters affecting employers and on emerging policy that is likely to impact on the strategic direction of apprenticeships, such as apprenticeship levies, for example. It would act as a custodian for approved apprenticeship frameworks on behalf of industry, and it would be an ambassador for apprenticeships with other businesses and with young people. It would also make an annual assessment of skills gaps to assess annual modern apprenticeship demand and, crucially, make binding recommendations on grant allocations on the basis of those assessments.
I will now move on to three amendments in the group that are in my name. My amendment 183 would ensure that the membership of the apprenticeship committee would include someone representing small and micro businesses. My amendment 185 would add a provision to ensure that someone who is doing an apprenticeship or a college course was represented on the apprenticeship committee.
My amendment 193 would require the Government to report within a year on what support should be provided to enable persons who are undertaking a course of education or training and who are not in a paid sabbatical role to become a member of the council or of a committee of the council. Those would be people who, as other amendments would require, should be represented on the council. It is important that people who are asked to take on roles with such a level of responsibility are supported to do so.
Finally, I will speak to Monica Lennon’s amendment 186, which would make it clear that the council must include trade and industry representation on the apprenticeship committee. It is important to ensure that bodies that represent professions, such as those in the electrotechnical sector, where safety is of the highest priority, are included on the committee as trade and industry representatives. Without the involvement of recognised bodies that are connected to electrotechnical apprenticeships, there is a significant danger that any changes that are made to safety and technical operations could be overlooked, and that might lead to dangers throughout a young person’s apprenticeship. Bodies such as the Scottish Joint Industry Board for the electrical industry in Scotland, which includes representation for employers, Scotland’s Electrical Trade Association for the electrical contracting industry—SELECT—and the industry trade union Unite the Union, would be the ideal representative bodies to ensure that those who are undertaking the electrical installation apprenticeship programme are protected going forward.
I hope that the amendments meet with support from across the committee.
I move amendment 181.