SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central, Marco Biagi, has welcomed the news that Scotland will have a dedicated Youth Employment Minister and invest an extra £30million in young people.
The funding will help Scotland’s youth back into training, work or education to secure a strong workforce of the future.
Details of the Ministerial post and allocation of the £30m will be outlined before Parliament breaks for recess.
Biagi said: -“This is a fantastic announcement from the First Minister that will help get our 16-19 year olds back into work, education or training.
“While Scotland’s youth employment rate is higher than the rest of the UK, more needs to be done.
“This money will really help young Scots – especially during this tough economic time.
“Appointing a dedicated Youth Employment Minister shows how committed the SNP is to equipping all our young people the skills they need for life – and getting them into employment.
“The Minister’s priority will be to promote skills and work for 16 to 24-year-olds and to ensure not a single school leaver becomes just an unemployment statistic. The SNP is securing a stronger workforce for the future.”
Following the announcement, Robin Parker, President of NUS Scotland, said:
“With youth unemployment at alarming levels in Scotland, £30m of new funding and a Minister to specifically tackle the problem is great news. Lots of young people across Scotland, whether school leavers, or college or university graduates, are very worried about their futures and we look forward to working with the new Minister to make sure education, training, and employment opportunities are available to them.
“This new money would be very effective if channelled through colleges in Scotland. We have been campaigning hard for the Scottish Government to provide the money colleges need to protect student support, places, quality and local access to campuses. I hope that a significant part of this new money can go towards helping to achieve that.
“We look forward to seeing further detail on this fund and on the new Minister’s role. In the meantime we will continue the Our Future, Our Fight (1) campaign to ensure that student support, places, quality, and local access at colleges are protected.”
