Amended Motion 16
Reducing Scotland’s Skills Gap
‘‘That this Congress notes that there is a severe skills shortage across Scotland in key sectors of the economy.
‘‘To add to this, a decline of 5,800 apprenticeship starts by 16–24-year-olds (28%) over the last decade has been reported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
‘‘Congress recognises that this decline will only add to the skills shortage and apply more pressure onto an already struggling economy with many essential vacancies remaining unfilled.
‘‘Congress notes that apprenticeships are, along with further and higher education, the foundation from which to develop the skills, new and old, needed for a zero-carbon future and a Just Transition across all sectors including energy, construction, health, care and others.
‘‘It is only with a skilled workforce that a Just Transition with the creation of new industries, thousands of new jobs and the strengthening of the social infra-structure, can be achieved. It is therefore essential that more apprenticeships are offered to our youth and to workers in existing, declining industries.
‘‘Congress also notes with concern recent attempts being made by some employers to push to dilute apprenticeships down to a lower level of qualification.
‘‘Congress calls on the General Council to campaign for:
- an increase in funding to be made available to help employers and training providers offer more apprenticeships with local authorities funded to lead the way in apprenticeship recruitment numbers by agreeing a minimum level to recruit each year across all local authorities;
- increased resources, including staffing, and support to enable closer work between schools, careers advisers, community groups, employers, and training providers to increase the uptake of apprenticeships; and
- opposition to the dilution of any apprenticeship to a lesser qualification level or division of its parts.’’
Mover: South Lanarkshire Trades Union Council
Seconder: Educational Institute of Scotland
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