20th
March 2008
Apprenticeships
for All – McNeil Backs Parliament Bid
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, is backing a bid to give every school leaver in Inverclyde the right to
an apprenticeship.
A Bill lodged by Labour
at Holyrood will, if passed, ensure that there is a place on a modern
apprenticeship for every young person aged 16 to 18 who wants one and who meets
the entry requirements.
Mr McNeil said:
“Giving young people a
proper apprenticeship in a traditional trade or one of our newer industries sets
them up for life. It gives them a
profession and the ability to learn new skills, which will stay with them for
life. It helps them find – and
keep – better paid, more rewarding, more secure work.
“Not only would
passing this Bill give our young people a brighter future, it is also vital for
our local and national economy. A
high-skill economy attracts business and investment. And, if there are good local employment opportunities, it
helps more young families stay in the area.
That, in turn, boosts our service sector and public services.
“At the national
level, building of our skills base has never been more important. There
will be fewer low-skilled jobs in the future, making it even harder for
unskilled young people entering the job market.
“I therefore urge the
government to throw its weight behind this Bill and give our young people the
future they deserve.”
ENDS
Notes
Apprentice numbers in Scotland have
increased significantly over the last 10 years.
However, quality vocational training opportunities are increasingly hard
to come by and modern apprenticeships have tens of applicants for every place. BT
have reported having 75 applicants for every apprentice they take on. Telecoms
firm Ericksson recently advertised for four advanced IT based apprentices and
received 250 applications. City
Building in Glasgow recently saw around 2400 people apply for 75 construction
based apprentice positions.
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