Hansard

I am grateful to have the opportunity to open the debate on behalf of the Conservatives. The Scottish Executive's initiative to develop effective partnerships between schools and further education colleges will benefit our young people immensely. Such a commitment to further education has been a key strand in Conservative policy for a number of years. Indeed, both the modern apprenticeship scheme and the young enterprise initiative were established under a Conservative Government. If I may say so, we are becoming accustomed to having Conservative policies absorbed into Labour policy a short time later. I shall not dwell on that point, because we welcome the Executive's approach, but it appears to be part of what is becoming a seamless web.

We warmly welcome the publication of the strategy and the implementation plan for school-college partnerships, which mark a welcome commitment to a broader curriculum in vocational training. Access to vocational training at further education colleges benefits school-age pupils in a number of ways. First, it allows pupils to gain a taste of college education, which may encourage them to enrol on FE courses after school. Secondly, it gives school-age pupils hands-on experience of the skill or trade that they wish to train for as well as of the demands of the world of work. Thirdly, it helps to enhance social development, self-esteem and personal responsibility. For all those reasons, we strongly support the initiative.

We recognise the need to give greater opportunities to 14-year-olds by allowing them to study in further education colleges. Access to a broader curriculum and to vocational training will undoubtedly help more young people to fulfil their potential and it will help to combat disengagement, as well as filling the skills gaps in our economy. The sector skills council has found that, if we trained up just another 1 per cent of the current workforce across the United Kingdom, £8 billion would be added to the UK's gross domestic product.

Dumfries and Galloway College is an example of best practice in the heart of David Mundell's constituency. The college is running an effective partnership with local schools at the Crichton campus and is currently taking around 300 pupils each year on to courses that the schools do not have the resources or specific and sufficient facilities to provide. The subjects include care—which the minister mentioned—psychology, hairdressing, hospitality and travel and tourism, to mention but a few. The college offers courses that lead to national qualifications at intermediate 2 and higher levels, thereby allowing for effective articulation with other school-based learning and qualifications. For those pupils for whom the practical, vocational route is more appropriate, such early experience of college life will be invaluable.

The Executive is supporting the creation of a more flexible curriculum that will address disengagement with, and disruptive behaviour in, schools. That said, the drive to enable more pupils to have extended access to vocational training must go hand in hand with raising awareness of the high standards that are demanded on those courses.

Some administrative issues remain to be addressed and they will require careful monitoring. I am referring to the need for adequate capacity in colleges in order to accommodate all eligible school pupils, the establishment of effective and fair systems for dealing with disruptive behaviour in colleges, if and when it arises and the essential requirement for funding for school pupils who are studying at FE colleges to be dealt with correctly.

We face a considerable challenge. Although the scarcity of people with good vocational skills and qualifications puts a premium on their value, the fact that manufacturing industry has declined in Scotland means that it may be perceived as a less attractive option for long-term employment. Only when we make the Scottish economy really competitive will the economic climate be conducive to growth for enterprising and aspiring businesses. I repeat that the Conservatives would like business rates in Scotland to be put on a level playing field with those in the rest of Britain, as that would help our economy.

Sir Digby Jones, director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said that young people should be encouraged to embrace responsibility and

"exploit risk if the next generation is to continue Britain's economic and business success".

Encouraging access to vocational training and enterprise in education is an important step in the right direction. In addition, the business climate needs to be attuned to economic growth if such worthy measures are to attract the success that they deserve.

I welcome the minister's stance on the issue. In the short time that I was the Scottish Office minister with responsibility for education, I tried to raise the status and stature of further education colleges in Scotland. The Executive has a good policy, which should be strongly supported. I believe that, if we give it our support, it will be seen to succeed for our people.

Before I move our amendment, I thank the minister for accepting it. I move amendment S2M-2793.2, to insert at end:

"but notes, however, the need for the Executive to monitor issues of funding, college capacity and delivery of the strategy, particularly in rural areas."