Chamber and committees

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

‘I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19716 on 10 March 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.’

A wide range of learning opportunities are available for people looking to enter training or education. For example, for women who are seeking to gain employment or improve skills, colleges offer a wide range of provision. In addition, there are opportunities through local authority community based adult learning programmes, as well as through the third sector and private learning providers.

Financial assistance is available through modern apprenticeships, the Employability Fund, Individual Learning Accounts and record levels of investment in college student support, including on childcare.

Scottish Enterprise (SE) is committed to equality as an employer and service provider. They work to the Scottish Specific Equality Duties which came in to force in 2012 and in response to these have published a biennial report and strategy which contains their equality outcomes for the next four years. The report is published at:

http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/resources/reports/equal-opportunities-biennial-report-and-strategy-2013.aspx

Highlighted in the report, includes the number of women-led businesses accessing SE services for the first time increasing from 26% in 2010 to 35% in 2012. SE recognises more can be done and are carrying out pro-active work to improve women’s participation in the Scottish economy. This work has included:Contributing £1.6 million over three years to the Princes Youth Trust which supports a wide range of programmes including business start-up through to the accelerator and the growth fund. 46% of participants in last year’s initiative were women.

Supporting the SMART Exporter initiative, with a total budget of £5.7 million, which has upskilled 1,251 women since its launch in September 2010, representing 34% of participants (Lowland Scotland). SE exhibited at the WES Business and Enterprise Conference in May 2013 and is in discussions with the Business Women Scotland magazine to develop networking events targeted at women.

Delivering Business Mentoring Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce through a contribution of £250K match funding each year for the last three years. This programme matches over 800 business leaders per year with experienced volunteer mentors. In the last year 43% of these business leaders were women.

Working in partnership with the Scottish EDGE, a £2 million fund which supports and encourages entrepreneurial activity in Scotland. 62% of the winners in the latest round of the initiative were women.

Supporting the new ‘Investing Women’ syndicate via SE’s involvement with LINC, who have provided learning support to the group. The SMART Exporter team also exhibited at the launch of the initiative in August 2013.

Working with companies on improving leadership and entrepreneurial skills through SE’s ‘Leadership Essentials’ programme. 32% of participants have been women since the programme started.

This carries on with a long tradition of support from the successful Women In Business initiative in 2001. This work transferred to local authorities, under the Business Gateway, and SE continue to work with colleagues in the Business Gateway service to ensure that support is appropriately targeted and delivered to this key audience.

SE work closely with a range of partners including the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Resource Centre for Women into Science, Engineering and Technology and the Close the Gap initiative. SE continue to work with the Scottish Government to support bodies to assess what more can be done for women beyond the actions outlined. SE also continues to provide support for the Women and Enterprise Commission, established following the Women and Employment Summit held in September 2012.

In 2013-14, the Employability Fund for college provision totals £24 million: £18 million allocated directly to colleges by the Scottish Funding Council and £6m ringfenced for colleges by Skills Development Scotland.

The most recent data for labour market flows in Scotland comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), April to June 2013 dataset which contains data on individuals circumstances 12 months ago.

Based on the latest available information, there were:

24,000 women currently in full-time employment who had entered the labour market in the last 12 months

49,000 women currently in part-time employment who had entered the labour market in the last 12 months

Source: Labour Force Survey, April-June 2013, not seasonally adjusted, Office of National Statistics

Notes:

1. Estimates rounded to nearest thousand.

2. These questions have a non-response rate of just under 20%. These figures are therefore likely to underestimate the actual levels entering full-time and part-time employment.

As outlined in Scotland’s Future, in the first budget after independence, the Scottish Government will extend eligibility to 600 hours of childcare to nearly half of Scotland’s two year olds. By the end of the first Parliament, vulnerable two years olds and all three and four years olds will be entitled to enhanced provision of 1,140 hours of childcare a year, with a further investment of £600 million. In the longer term, the Scottish Government plans to provide 1,140 hours of childcare a year to all children from age one until they start school. Once fully operational, the Scottish Government estimates that around 240,000 children and 212,000 families will benefit.

Over time, such a policy has the potential to transform the lives and outcomes of many families and children in Scotland. As illustrated in Childcare and Labour Market Participation-economic analysis paper published by the Scottish Government in January 2014, if Scotland’s female participation rate were to reach Swedish levels, this would represent around an additional 104,000 women becoming active in Scotland’s labour market.

This is an indication of what might be possible post- independence. However, it is encouraging that with an increase in employment of 72,000 over the year to October to December 2013, female employment levels are now at a record high, (Office of National Statistics, Labour Force Survey, 19 February 2014).

Based on the latest data from the Annual Population Survey, which is the preferred source for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population, there were 188,000 women aged 16-64 in Scotland with no qualifications.

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012 to September 2013, Office of National Statistics

Notes:

1. Estimates rounded to nearest thousand.

2. Estimates exclude those who did not know the level of their highest qualification or gave no response to this question.

The Annual Population Survey (APS) provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013.

The number of women who have no qualifications by economic status and whether they have children under five is given in Table 1.

Table 1: Number of women aged 16-64 who have no qualifications by economic status and whether they have children under five years of age:

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012 – September 2013, Office of National Statistics

Notes:

1. Estimates rounded to nearest thousand.

2. Estimates exclude those who did not know the level of their highest qualification or gave no response to this question.

Guidance on Further and Higher Education Childcare Funds is published by the Scottish Funding Council.

http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Circulars_SFC082012/FE_HE_Childcare_Discretionary_Funds_Guidance_2012-13.pdf

The guidance explains that childcare costs will be met when a student is engaged in study. It is for individual colleges to ensure that local authority school holiday timetables are considered when planning provision of childcare. Students are responsible for keeping the college informed of their children’s school holiday dates affecting their childcare provision.

The administration of further education student support is one for individual colleges who operate to guidance produced by the Scottish Funding Council. As the member’s question may relate to the recent dispute at Edinburgh College. I understand the Principal of the College has made clear that no payments to students will be affected by the recent dispute. That is a sensible position.