By Katrine Bussey,Peter A Walker
Copyright insider
A Scottish Government minister has dismissed concerns that new legislation will lead to a reduction in funding for apprenticeships.
Higher and further education minister Ben Macpherson insisted the Government is “absolutely committed” to continuing its financial support.
His comments came as MSPs debated a Bill which will transfer responsibility for apprenticeships from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which funds colleges and universities.
Macpherson insisted that if passed, the Tertiary Education and Training (Scotland) Bill would be an “important step towards simplifying and modernising the funding landscape” for post-school education.
“I want to address concerns about the risk of diluting apprenticeship funding,“ he told Holyrood. “Let me be clear – we are absolutely committed to continuing funding for all types of apprenticeships.”
Business leaders at both CBI Scotland and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have voiced concern about the removal of apprenticeships from SDS, branding the move a “retrograde step”.
Macpherson however stressed it is “clear the way we currently run and deliver apprenticeships needs to change, to meet the needs of our dynamic economy”.
He added the legislation would bring about a “fundamental redesign of how we fund and govern tertiary education and training in Scotland”.
MSPs were told the SFC would “lead a unified, enhanced sector, one that is better aligned to the needs of learners, employers and the economy”.
However Michelle Ferguson, director of CBI Scotland, said “transferring responsibility for apprenticeships to the Scottish Funding Council is a retrograde step”.
She claimed the move “risks disrupting delivery at the very moment when businesses need more people trained and job-ready”.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “We know that Scotland’s skills system needs to be refined – but shifting away from Skills Development Scotland, who have been praised by the OECD for their effectiveness, is not the answer.
“Removing SDS from the system risks undermining this successful model of employer-led skills development and jeopardising the strong business partnerships that underpin it.”
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