David Whitton has served as the MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden since 2007, and is standing again in the constituency on 5 May.The growing problem of youth unemployment is one that will have to be tackled by whoever forms the next Scottish government. As Scottish Labour spokesperson on skills, I said that this was not a party political issue but a problem for everyone. The SNP’s commitment to skills training is fine as far as it goes, it just doesn’t go far enough. In our business manifesto Growing Scotland, we’ve detailed our ideas for making sure all young Scots get the chance of work, a training place or go on to higher education. The demographics of Scotland, with an ageing population and declining birth rate, make it more important than ever to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability and background, is able to make a contribution to society. Under Scottish Labour, we will launch a Scottish Future Jobs Fund with £40 million to create 10,000 places for 16–24 year olds out of work for six months or more. There will be a Modern Apprentice place for every youngster who qualifies and wants one. And because we know there are youngsters struggling at school with basic numeracy and literacy, we will recruit 1,000 additional teachers to provide one-to-one teaching and specialist programmes. We already know there are skills shortages in science, technology, engineering, maths and in the tourism sector. I want employers to identify where they have skills gaps and to reform Skills Development Scotland so that it becomes the one-stop shop for careers advice for employers and employees. Scotland also needs a new generation of young entrepreneurs, which is why we’ll make sure school pupils receive training in business and entrepreneurship and all graduates will receive the same kind of training as part of their course. There will also be a “Flying Start” programme to support those with good ideas that want to get started in business. To make sure a Scottish Labour government delivers, we aim to establish an Economic Cabinet made up of representatives of industry, business and trades unions, that will sit alongside ministers to shape and advise on all aspects of economic policy. As Scotland recovers from recession, it is vital that economic growth and the creation of jobs, especially for young Scots, is and remains our top priority.
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