Motion
Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships
S6M-19253 · Motion For Debate · lodged by Fraser, Murdo
Lodged on
06 Oct 2025Heard / answered on
08 Oct 2025Watch the chamber session on SPTV · lands on the meetings recorded on 08 Oct 2025
That the Parliament recognises that future economic growth is reliant on providing the right opportunities to create good jobs that allow businesses to expand; notes with concern the findings of the recent Audit Scotland report, highlighting a 20% real-terms cut in funding to the college sector over the past five years, and believes that this has a negative impact on the economy and limits opportunities for young people to get ahead; acknowledges the concern from business representative groups about the future of apprenticeships, and the harm that a restriction in apprenticeship numbers causes to job creation in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to restore funding to Scotland’s colleges and raise the number of modern apprenticeship places from 25,507 in 2024-25 to at least the 34,000 identified by Skills Development Scotland as necessary to meet Scottish economic growth ambitions.
Lodged by
Fraser, Murdo
alone — no additional MSPs have signed on.
Final vote on motion (as amended)
08 Oct 2025
Carried
Show MSPs
For
61Against
51Abstain
0Not voted
17Amendments incorporated
- S6M-19253.2 Slater, Lorna — carried 60/51: As an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “that future” to end and insert "the transformative power of education and training, and the vital roles that colleges and apprenticeships play in supporting young people and building resilient communities, including in a just transition away from fossil fuels; acknowledges the importance of having college facilities located close to where people live, ensuring accessibility and inclusion; believes that improved college governance is essential to prevent poor management decisions and to safeguard the quality of provision; acknowledges the work of EIS-FELA and UNISON in campaigning for better further education provision and supporting college staff across the country who face uncertainty about the future; calls for enhanced outcomes for women, students and apprentices, to ensure that they are not disproportionately channelled into low-waged sectors; urges colleges to align their skills offerings with the ambitions of the National Performance Framework; supports the introduction of regulated minimum training hours and standards for apprenticeships; believes that colleges must be living wage employers and exemplars of fair work practices, and calls for all apprentices to be paid a living wage."
- S6M-19253.3 Lochhead, Richard — carried 61/51: As an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “with concern” to end and insert “the Audit Scotland report entitled, Scotland’s colleges 2025, and the importance of continued investment in Scotland’s colleges and skills system to support inclusive economic success, prosperity and job creation, including provision of around three quarters of a billion pounds in Scotland’s colleges in 2025-26, and an additional £3.5 million for skills, through the Scottish Budget; acknowledges that this is particularly important in the thriving sectors, like those critical to realising the transition to net zero, and the shared opportunities of this; recognises the key role that colleges, employers and training providers have played in ensuring that 93% of school leavers have a positive destination, and providing apprenticeships and training to a record 39,000 individuals, and notes, however, concern about the impact of Brexit and the UK Government's migration system, which is contributing to key skills gaps and labour market shortages.”
Computer-generated best guess
Possible final motion text after carried amendments
This is a computer’s best guess at applying carried amendments to the original motion text. It uses simple text rules for phrases such as “insert at end”, “after X insert Y”, and “leave out from X to end and insert Y”. Treat it as an aid, not the official motion text.
That the Parliament recognises the transformative power of education and training, and the vital roles that colleges and apprenticeships play in supporting young people and building resilient communities, including in a just transition away from fossil fuels; acknowledges the importance of having college facilities located close to where people live, ensuring accessibility and inclusion; believes that improved college governance is essential to prevent poor management decisions and to safeguard the quality of provision; acknowledges the work of EIS-FELA and UNISON in campaigning for better further education provision and supporting college staff across the country who face uncertainty about the future; calls for enhanced outcomes for women, students and apprentices, to ensure that they are not disproportionately channelled into low-waged sectors; urges colleges to align their skills offerings with the ambitions of the National Performance Framework; supports the introduction of regulated minimum training hours and standards for apprenticeships; believes that colleges must be living wage employers and exemplars of fair work practices, and calls for all apprentices to be paid a living wage.
Applied by the parser
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S6M-19253.2: leave out from "that future" to end and insert As an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “that future” to end and insert "the transformative power of education and training, and the vital roles that colleges and apprenticeships play in supporting young people and building resilient communities, including in a just transition away from fossil fuels; acknowledges the importance of having college facilities located close to where people live, ensuring accessibility and inclusion; believes that improved college governance is essential to prevent poor management decisions and to safeguard the quality of provision; acknowledges the work of EIS-FELA and UNISON in campaigning for better further education provision and supporting college staff across the country who face uncertainty about the future; calls for enhanced outcomes for women, students and apprentices, to ensure that they are not disproportionately channelled into low-waged sectors; urges colleges to align their skills offerings with the ambitions of the National Performance Framework; supports the introduction of regulated minimum training hours and standards for apprenticeships; believes that colleges must be living wage employers and exemplars of fair work practices, and calls for all apprentices to be paid a living wage."
Needs manual review
- S6M-19253.3: unsupported amendment wording
In the Official Report
Debated in chamber — 4 contributions reference this
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The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Chamber
· 08 Oct 2025 · Meeting of the Parliament 08 October 2025
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-19253, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on backing Scotland’s colleges and apprenticeships. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press t…
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The Presiding Officer
NPA
Chamber
· 08 Oct 2025 · Meeting of the Parliament 08 October 2025
The next question is, that amendment S6M-19253.3, in the name of Richard Lochhead, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19253, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on backing Scotland’s colleges and apprenticeshi…
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The Presiding Officer
NPA
Chamber
· 08 Oct 2025 · Meeting of the Parliament 08 October 2025
The next question is, that amendment S6M-19253.2, in the name of Lorna Slater, which seeks to amend motion S6M-19253, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on backing Scotland’s colleges and apprenticeships, …
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The Presiding Officer
NPA
Chamber
· 08 Oct 2025 · Meeting of the Parliament 08 October 2025
The next question is, that motion S6M-19253, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on backing Scotland’s colleges and apprenticeships, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
Amendments and how the chamber decided
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S6M-19253Selected itemCarried 61/5106 Oct 2025 · Motion For Debate · Fraser, MurdoThat the Parliament recognises that future economic growth is reliant on providing the right opportunities to create good jobs that allow businesses to expand; notes with concern the findings of the recent Audit Scotland report, highlighting a 20% real-terms cut in funding to the college sector over the past five years, and believes that this has a n...
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S6M-19253.1Linked amendment/item07 Oct 2025 · Amendment · Mason, JohnAs an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), insert at end ", and asks the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party to explain whether the extra money required should come from additional taxation or, if not, from which other part of the Scottish Budget there should be cuts."
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S6M-19253.2Linked amendment/itemCarried 60/5107 Oct 2025 · Amendment · Slater, LornaAs an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “that future” to end and insert "the transformative power of education and training, and the vital roles that colleges and apprenticeships play in supporting young people and building resilient communities, in...
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S6M-19253.3Linked amendment/itemCarried 61/5107 Oct 2025 · Amendment · Lochhead, RichardAs an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “with concern” to end and insert “the Audit Scotland report entitled, Scotland’s colleges 2025, and the importance of continued investment in Scotland’s colleges and skills system to support ...