Scottish Labour Party Debate: Ensuring Scotland’s Skills System is Fit for the Future

Daniel Johnson S6M-10922 That the Parliament notes the findings of the independent review of the skills delivery landscape, particularly that skills delivery has lacked clear leadership and direction, and substantial structural change is required to ensure that the skills system is fit for the future; regrets that Modern Apprenticeship starts are lower than in 2015-16 at a time when 70% of businesses are reporting skills shortages; is concerned that the proportion of people in employment who participated in job-related training is lower than it was in 2007; notes that net zero targets will require a step change in workforce skills but that the Scottish Government has only allocated 15% of its Just Transition Fund; considers that it is 21 months on from Audit Scotland’s conclusion that urgent action was needed on skills from the Scottish Government and that it is therefore disappointing that no reforms are yet planned; believes that Scotland urgently needs a vision for a flexible and responsive skills delivery system that is fit for the future, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to set out its response to the review of the skills delivery landscape before the end of 2023 and to bring forward legislation on skills reform, as referenced in its Programme for Government, within the parliamentary year. Graeme Dey S6M-10922.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-10922 in the name of Daniel Johnson (Ensuring Scotland’s Skills System is Fit for the Future), leave out from "particularly" to end and insert "which it accepts set out a clear case for change; agrees that the skills landscape must fit the needs of the people of Scotland to ensure that everyone can fulfil their potential; understands that the Scottish Government will set out a full response to the independent review in the wider context of reform of the education and skills system, as set out in the Programme for Government 2023-24; agrees that it is right that the Scottish Government engages fully with stakeholders before setting out its full response, including education institutions, industry and trade unions; recognises that the Scottish Government’s ambitions for a just transition will be supported by the delivery of the Green Industrial Strategy; acknowledges that funding is being provided to support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2023-24; welcomes the many areas of success in the skills landscape at present, such as the proportion of school leavers in a positive destination nine months after the end of the school year standing at its highest level since comparable data was first gathered; recognises that effective utilisation of the skills system will be vital in ensuring that Scotland has the workforce skills to meet its ambitious net zero targets and the wider needs of the future economy; welcomes the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund and the £75 million allocated in the Fund’s first two years, which includes £11.2 million on a package of skills-focused interventions; acknowledges that this is a 10-year fund, and that the Scottish Government is acting to support workers now, and in the future, with the skills needed to deliver Scotland’s just transition towards net zero; expresses deep disappointment that the UK Government has repeatedly refused to match the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund, and calls, therefore, on all parties in the Scottish Parliament to work to secure a matching commitment from the UK Government." Murdo Fraser S6M-10922.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-10922 in the name of Daniel Johnson (Ensuring Scotland’s Skills System is Fit for the Future), after "skills shortages" insert "; supports the principle of parity of esteem for different learning routes, but regrets that there is considerable unmet demand for apprenticeship places due to the shortage of public funding available; believes that this should be addressed in the Scottish Government’s forthcoming Budget for 2024-25".