Exclusive:SNP Government urged to bring back £170m apprenticeship fund 'stolen from young people's futures'

Labour MP Gregor Poynton has written to SNP Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth asking her to reverse the decision to use the money “to plug holes elsewhere in the Scottish Government budget”.

He also urged the Scottish Government to follow “the scale of ambition shown by the UK Labour Government” after it announced an extra 50,000 apprenticeships earlier this month.

In 2014, the SNP set a target of creating 30,000 new apprenticeships a year but there were only 25,500 in 2024/25.

Livingston MP Mr Poynton - who is also a UK Government whip - said: “For years the SNP has promised Scotland’s young people 30,000 apprenticeships, but instead they have diverted more than £170 million away from skills and training and left thousands without opportunities.

“This is no longer about a lack of money, it is a political choice.

“While the UK Labour Government is expanding apprenticeships and investing in the future workforce, the Scottish Government is presiding over decline and broken promises.

“Young people across Scotland deserve real routes into work, not more SNP excuses.”

Mr Poynton said in his letter: “Over the past five years, over £170 million earmarked for skills and apprenticeships has been diverted to plug holes elsewhere in the Scottish Government budget – that’s money stolen, frankly, from young people’s futures.

“Despite receiving Barnett consequentials from UK Government investment in skills, the Scottish Government has chosen not to invest this money in the skills and future livelihoods of young people in Scotland, preferring instead to fund non-core priorities.

“The result is stark: thousands of young Scots remain without access to training or employment opportunities, while Modern Apprenticeship starts continue to fall far short of the 30,000 target that has been a feature of Scottish National Party manifestoes since 2016.

“Contrast this with the decisive action being taken by the UK Labour Government, which has recently announced a major skills reform package, including 50,000 additional apprenticeships and measures to ensure Britain is equipped for the future economy.

“This is a clear demonstration of what political will can achieve when priorities are aligned with the needs of young people and the economy.

“Scottish Labour has also set out a credible plan to reverse the decline and address the skills gap once and for all.

“Our policy guarantees every qualified applicant an apprenticeship in priority sectors, funded by reallocating resources from enterprise agencies and Skills Development Scotland, alongside pausing non-essential education reform programmes. This approach will ensure that no young person is turned away from opportunity due to lack of funding.

Earlier this month the UK Government announced an extra £725m for 50,000 apprenticeships over the next three years.

It is part of an effort to tackle unemployment in young people. Some 11.8 per cent of Scots aged between 16 and 24 were unemployed between April and June this year.

This is lower than the UK-wide figure of 13.9 per cent and is down from earlier in the year.

But it is well up from October to December last year, where the unemployment rate was 10.4 per cent.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“For the first time ever, over 100,000 awards of vocational and technical qualifications were made in this year’s results, which provide young people with the skills that employers tell us that they want. This year, we are providing over £185 million to deliver 25,500 new Modern Apprentices, 5,000 Foundation Apprentices and 1,200 Graduate Apprentices, while supporting over 38,000 apprentices already in training. We are taking targeted action to meet urgent skills needs in sectors like offshore wind, social care, engineering and advanced manufacturing.

“While the current funding model does not allow for ring-fencing of Levy contributions, we remain committed to ensuring that the funding we do receive is used effectively to support skills development and apprenticeships across Scotland.

“Scottish Ministers are committed to building on the progress made to date, and spending decisions will be set out in the budget in January.”