Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve access to modern apprenticeships and employment for those completing pre-apprenticeship college courses.
The Scottish Government is working with Skills Development Scotland and other partners on post school education reform. This includes apprenticeship reform, improvements to careers information and advice and ensuring there are clear pathways for young people into apprenticeships, work and further learning.
We are investing £185 million this year to support apprenticeships - and looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised.
Colleges operate independently of government and therefore retain a degree of autonomy in how they support learners into apprenticeships. Access to Modern Apprenticeships, like all employment opportunities remains competitive, and can be influenced by a range of factors, including employer demand, sectoral priorities, and the suitability of individual candidates for specific roles.