Redundancy claims 2,000 apprentices

Posted by: Robert Cotton | Last Updated: 11.10.2011

Almost 2,000 apprentices have been made redundant in the last two years, figures have revealed. Statistics from Government agency Skills Development Scotland (SDS) showed this had happened to 1,915 people on a modern apprenticeship.

In 2009-10 1,059 people on the scheme were made redundant, while in 2010-11 the total was 856. Labour leader Iain Gray claimed the figures were "a damning assessment which shows the SNP Government's promises to Scotland's young people are worthless".

However, SDS figures also showed that as of the end of September this year, 1,145 redundant apprentices had re-commenced their apprenticeship training with another employer.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said it was delivering a "record number" of training places under the programme, with 25,000 modern apprenticeships a year.

She added: "Since 2008, despite the economic downturn, redundancies among modern apprentices remains relatively low at under 4% of the total number in training."

However, Mr Gray said: "Other parts of the UK have successful protection for apprentices whose firms run into difficulty but it seems to elude us here. I urge the SNP Government to work in an open and cross-party way to give our youngsters the protection they deserve."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it was "absolutely committed to doing all we can for young people and to support them as our future workforce".

She added: "For modern apprentices who may find themselves facing redundancy, Skills Development Scotland's leading adopt-an-apprentice scheme works to ensure that young person finds alternative employment to complete their modern apprenticeship."

© Press Association