Politics

97 per cent of key modern apprenticeships in Scotland are taken by men

97 PER CENT OF KEY MODERN APPRENTICESHIPS TAKEN BY MEN

New research by Labour has revealed that 97 per cent of Scottish modern apprenticeships in construction, the motor industry, manufacturing and engineering are taken by men.

In a speech at Reform Scotland to mark International Women’s Day and the Budget earlier this week, Kezia Dugdale published new research showing that just 3 per cent of modern apprenticeships in key industries are taken by women.

Research by Engender revealed that just 25 per cent of company directors in Scottish FTSE 100 companies are women.

More details about modern apprenticeships in Scotland can be found here.

Speaking at Reform Scotland, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said:

“In planning for the future we should be planning for a Scottish economy that puts equality at its heart. 

“By that I mean the whole gamut of equality. We need an economy that works for all, regardless of who you are, where you live and the sector you work in.

“For those in professional sectors the tide is turning but it is still not nearly good enough. 

“As Engender’s Sex and Power report said earlier this week, only 25 per cent of company directors of Scottish FTSE 100 companies are women, and not a single chief executive of a Scottish FTSE company is female.

“At all senior levels in public life, and in the private sector, women are still not getting the top opportunities. As we look to the future, we have to ensure that this same inequality isn’t sustained into the next generation.

“Earlier this week, I had the privilege to meet some of the new apprentices at Standard Life. These are young people getting front line experience of the finance sector and gaining valuable real-world experience. It’s a great scheme.

“But across the country, the next generation of workers are still finding themselves setting out on their careers being segregated by gender.

“Ninety-seven per cent of the modern apprenticeships in construction, the motor industry, manufacturing and engineering are taken by men, while more than half of apprenticeships in sport, health and social care and administration are taken by women.

“These apprenticeships are meant to provide the best start for young people beginning their careers. We cannot have a situation, as we do right now, where inequality is being hardwired into the future workforce in these sectors.

“The SNP should be taking action to make sure that this situation doesn’t persist into future years of the scheme.”

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Scottish Labour • •

“Under the Tories living standards are being squeezed and public services are being cut”

The Chancellor’s Budget will impose further cuts on the public services we all value.

Philip Hammond claimed it was an upbeat Budget, but the reality is that by the end of this decade up to £1billion will have been cut from the Scottish Parliament’s funding. That means less money to spend on schools and hospitals.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said:

“This was billed as a Budget that would be upbeat, but what we got instead was an insight into the devastating impact a chaotic Tory Brexit will have on families across the UK. Under the Tories living standards are being squeezed, debt is on the rise and public services are being cut. 

“The Chancellor could have brought an end to seven years of damaging Tory austerity, but instead he doubled down by imposing cuts to public services and welfare. Despite the £350million extra for the Scottish Government announced today, the reality is that by the end of this decade up to £1billion will have been cut from Holyrood’s budget – cuts the SNP chooses to meekly pass on to families here in Scotland.

“The fact that the Chancellor barely mentioned Brexit at all is a sign of the Tories’ complacency. Brexit will not only damage our economy but it has also provided the Nationalists with the excuse they have been looking for to impose another destabilising independence referendum on the people of Scotland. The Tories cannot be trusted on the Union.”

With major new tax and welfare powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament, there is a chance to do things differently. For example, Labour has set out a plan to top up Child Benefit by £240 a year by 2020. This will lift 30,000 people out of poverty.

Kezia Dugdale added:

“We don’t have to pass on Tory austerity. The SNP should stop using the Scottish Parliament as a conveyor belt for Tory austerity and back Labour’s plan to stop the cuts and invest in valued local services like schools and social care.” 

One of the big mistakes of the Budget was the Chancellor’s change to National Insurance. It means that self-employed workers – like tax drivers and plumbers – will face a National Insurance contributions hike. This breaks a Tory manifesto promise from 2015, where they said that National Insurance would not increase.

Commenting on the National Insurance increase, Scottish Labour Westminster spokesman Ian Murray said:

“This is yet another broken manifesto promise from the Tories. At the General Election in 2015 the Tories made a very clear commitment not to increase National Insurance, yet today the Chancellor did exactly that. 

“This Budget proves once and for all that ordinary working people just cannot trust the Tories. The Tories are increasing taxes on those who set up their own businesses and drive our economy while cutting taxes for big business.”

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Scottish Labour

Press release: Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Montenegro

2015 – present FCO, Temporary duties in the Middle East & North Africa, Finance and Prosperity Directorates 2013 – 2015 Sana’a, Deputy Head of Mission 2013 Full time language training (Arabic) 2010 – 2012 FCO, Head of Policy Unit, National Security, Middle East, North Africa & South Asia 2008 – 2010 FCO, Deputy Director Estates & Sustainability, Estates and Security Department 2007 Kurdistan Region & Northern Iraq, Consul General 2006 – 2007 Liberia, Political Chargé 2004 – 2005 FCO, Near East Team Leader, Arab, Israel North Africa Group 2002 – 2004 FCO, Head of Political Team, Afghanistan Unit 1999 – 2002 Colombo, Second Secretary Political 1997 – 1998 FCO, Desk Officer Greece and Cyprus 1997 Joined FCO read more

HM Government • • •

The Government must deliver the broadband infrastructure that UK homes and businesses need – Tom Watson

Tom Watson, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on the announcement of an agreement for Openreach to legally separate from BT, said:

“This is a welcome announcement that must now deliver for customers, far too many of whom don’t have access to broadband or put up with a poor quality service.  

“The Government’s failure to create healthy competition in the UK’s digital market has caused the rollout of broadband to be far too slow and millions of British households and businesses have paid the price, at a cost of billions of pounds to the economy.

“While the legal separation of Openreach from BT is clearly a good thing for consumers we must also ensure it works for Openreach’s 32,000 employees and the Government must work with CWU to ensure that jobs, pensions and terms and conditions are protected.

“Now the separation has been agreed the Government must waste no time in delivering the broadband infrastructure that UK homes and businesses so badly need.”

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HM Government