Question reference: S6W-15789
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 9 March 2023
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 March 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Skills Development Scotland to increase the number of funded electrician apprenticeships in 2023.
Answer
I recognise that apprenticeships are vital to ensuring that the electrical sector has the skills it requires.
SDS is responsible for managing the apprenticeship programme in response to industry demand and in line with Ministerial expectations. They will continue to ensure that apprenticeships can support the sectors we need to grow our economy and deliver our just transition to net zero.
It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for apprenticeship starts in-year, and they adjust the number of starts allocated to respond as appropriate within their budget.
SDS undertook a reallocation process for MA starts in December 2022 and were able to allocate several hundred starts to training providers, with an extra 116 places allocated to the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT). They then allocated a further 87 places in February 2023, bringing the total number of places allocated to SECTT during 2022-23 to 865.