Purvis condemns Government cut to Skills funding

10.53.26am GMT Sat 24th May 2008

Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Jeremy Purvis MSP has condemned the Scottish Government for removing specific funding for Skills for Work courses delivered in schools and colleges throughout the Scottish Borders. Mr Purvis was speaking during a debate on skills in the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting, Mr Purvis said:

"It is a disgrace that the SNP has found £16 million to fund set-up costs for Skills Development Scotland, while removing specific funding for Skills for Work courses delivered in schools and colleges.

"It is wrong to fund new levels of bureaucracy at the expense of delivering skills training to our young people. This is yet more evidence that the SNP is failing young people on skills.

"In the week when the Government says it wants the creative industries to expand; the SNP has cut apprenticeships in this sector. This is a bizarre logic.

"The Government's Skills Strategy was rejected by MSPs last year and Ministers have yet to bring revised proposals back to the Scottish Parliament. Now vital skills funding has been slashed.

"It's time for the SNP to get serious on skills. Their dithering and funding cuts threaten to do real damage to the Scottish economy."