Iain Whyte’s View on apprenticeships

Wednesday April 7th 2021

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Midlothian View Holyrood Challenge: This View has been written by Iain Whyte, the Scottish Conservatives and Unionist Party's candidate in the Midlothian North & Musselburgh constituency for the Scottish Elections on Thursday May 6th 2021

Apprenticeship Expansion Key to Jobs in Pandemic Recovery

As Covid-19 jags hit arms thanks to the UK Government’s foresight on early procurement we must now focus relentlessly on our recovery. That means preventing a looming jobs crisis in Midlothian and getting people back to work.

Young people simply cannot be left behind after being devastated by the effects of the Covid pandemic. That is why we Scottish Conservatives have launched a hugely ambitious plan to make apprenticeships unlimited.

This includes helping to increase the number of apprenticeships undertaken by women who currently only make up 38% of apprentices. We would also expand funding for graduate apprenticeships as well as for foundation apprenticeships for S5 and S6 pupils in Midlothian widening the opportunities available.

To recover, we must listen to businesses in Midlothian and give them the help they need to rebuild. The current targets the SNP set on apprenticeships simply limit numbers, stop our young people accessing opportunity and prevent businesses helping the community by expanding and training our future workforce.

I am already proud to be backing plans to offer £500 retrain to rebuild accounts to anyone in Midlothian that wants them. The next Parliament must focus on our recovery and I would do that with Midlothian’s needs uppermost. Expanding apprenticeships would be a great addition and cements my pledge to work with schools to expand opportunities for school leavers by linking them to local business needs as well as our universities and colleges.

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