Talking-up Scotland

(c) westcollegescotland.ac.uk

According to the Scottish Business News Network:

‘An air of confidence in Scotland’s electrical sector has led to the fifth year-on-year increase in the number of apprentices attracted to the industry, according to SELECT, the industry’s campaigning trade body. A combination of greater employment opportunities, and increased optimism regarding future employability has meant a 6% increase in electrical apprenticeship numbers, with 750 people signed up to begin apprenticeships or adult training schemes run by the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) this year.’ 

More widely, there has been a steady upwards trend in apprenticeships since the SNP administration began after the 2007/2008 recession.

https://sbnn.co.uk/2017/10/31/scottish-electrical-apprenticeship-numbers-rise-nearly-pre-recession-heights/

Youth unemployment in Scotland is now 9.4%, a decrease of 48.3% since 2014. The government target was 40%. Scotland’s figure is amongst the best in Europe and significantly better than for the UK as a whole. Scotland would come in 5th best out of 29, on youth unemployment. The UK is at 9^th place at 21.1%.

This achievement is impressive and is testimony to the Scottish government’s initiatives including the Developing the Young Workforce programme based on education, improved careers advice, work experience and modern apprenticeship opportunities.

This news correlates, of course, with other recent reports of business growth and confidence. See:

40% increase in number of new Scottish businesses mainly under SNP government

Scottish businesses report much greater optimism about their futures for the third quarter in a row but the Fraser of Allander ‘Institute’ can’t help scratching their ‘buts’.