Meeting of the Parliament 20 January 2026
I start by thanking the Parliament’s legislative team for its support—to be quite honest, the team could also do with some apprentices, given the amount of legislation that is going through Parliament. I also pay tribute to and thank our stakeholders, who have provided a lot of support during the passage of the bill on its way to stage 3.
Throughout the passage of the bill, Scottish Conservatives have worked to strengthen and embed the voice of industry in the development of Scotland’s skills strategy and the development of qualifications for apprenticeships.
In line with that approach, my amendment 75 would maintain
“an independent industry-led board to lead the oversight of the design, development, approval and delivery processes of Scottish apprenticeships”.
That is important, and we tried to safeguard and progress that at stage 2.
I welcome Willie Rennie’s amendment, which we will discuss later, to create a sub-committee of the apprenticeship committee, but, alongside many industry leaders, I continue to have concerns that the bill as it stands—and the changes that it will bring to the apprenticeship delivery environment in Scotland—could see the voice of industry in developing apprenticeships lost in translation.
An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report from 2024 advocates for a statutory framework for employer involvement in apprenticeships, citing a range of international best practice in that regard. It specifically recommends establishing that statutory framework for employers in order to enable them to retain authority with regard to overseeing apprenticeship delivery and developing and approving frameworks, and to ensure that there is a legal obligation for them to be consulted with regard to commissioning decisions. I believe that that should be the approach in Scotland.
I also welcome amendment 11, in the name of my colleague Stephen Kerr.
I move amendment 75.