Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced 7,800 new Modern Apprenticeship places for Scotland. This sounds good for employers and trainees alike but there are huge gaps in the reality of the situation, which are obviously not apparent to the Scottish Government, Labour politicians who have put great emphasis on increased numbers of MA’s and the media observers.

Modern Apprenticeships are for young people (and now Adult apprenticeships) who are EMPLOYED!!  Where are we going to find an additional 7,800 new jobs?

In addition to the Modern Apprenticeship madness, the Leader of Glasgow City Council has pledged an offer of a MA place to all school leavers who fail to secure progression to education or employment – again, where is he going to find the companies which will employ the 1,000’s of young people on the MA’s?

If we look at the figures behind the Modern Apprenticeship programme we find some very perplexing statistics. Look at just 4 or 5 of the 110 framework categories from 2009 Skills Development Scotland’s own figures;

Industry                   Starts     In Trng   Achieved    £ per MA
Construction            2,366       7,644       54%         £7,500
Engineering             1,340        3,627       68%        £9,000
Car Mechanics           806        2,269       57%         £7,500

The above 3 framework areas account for 42% of the total MA places started, of those young people in MA training 51% are on these 3 vocational areas above.

Of the 4512 MA places started in the 3 framework areas, only 82 are female.
13,540 young people are currently on training in Construction, Engineering and Car Mechanics, which is 51% of the total of ALL MA’s in Scotland – and of the 13,540 places only 191 are female.

Why are we additionally funding a programme, which averages 57% achievement for these 3 vocational areas? Are there jobs available for 13,540 young people in these industries? What happens to the 43% who do not complete their MA? Is it cost effective to pay £7,500 - £9,000 per person for this training?

Another example from SDS statistics is a comparison between 2 other smaller vocational areas.

Industry                                Starts   In Trng   Achieved    £ per MA
Sports Performance Football      127      222        7%        £5,500
Dental Nursing                          105      229      82%        £6,000

There are no females on the Sports Performance Football programme and the achievement level for this MA is 7% - maybe we would not find this so unreasonable if the results filtered through to the performance of the National Team!!!
In Dental Nursing, there was 1 male on the programme but the achievement level was 82% - value for money.

The conclusion I have to reach is that we are funding policies which were fine in decades past when employers wanted financial support in training young apprentices but today I find that they want trainees who are employable first and who can be trained on the job secondly – not the other way around.

Would we not be better assigning funding on this scale to securing basic employability skills for all our young people in order that they can enter employment, sustain the job and then progress onto Modern Apprenticeships, further education and industry specific training courses?

The Training for Work programme which has been provided by Scottish Enterprise (now Skills Development Scotland) for more than 10 years is now in danger of collapse.
Why?
It appears that recruitment for this very important provision is being stifled by Job Centre Plus offices throughout Scotland and Training Providers are finding it incredibly difficult to have individuals referred onto the programme. This means that we and other Providers cannot secure employment for these clients — and we have employers who are very keen to offer work placements leading to real full time jobs!!!
So why is the recruitment becoming so difficult? Are there not many people looking for jobs? Are the total numbers on the Unemployment Register falling? What can be offered for those searching for jobs?
The word on the street is that Training for Work monies are being earmarked for other purposes such as the large amounts required for Modern Apprenticeships even although the CBI and employers have clearly said that their recruitment for MA’s and College leavers will be reduced this year by 50%.
The success rate for those achieving Modern Apprenticeships is not impressive with those in Construction for example securing only 40% of the qualification.
Last year our Training for Work clients achieved full time jobs for over 75% of those who were recruited.

What amazes me is how far away from the world of reality our Prison system has removed itself.
Is the system designed to punish or to reform offenders?
If the purpose is to punish then it clearly isn’t working as there were 60,000 people incarcerated in 1997 and today there are in excess of 80,000.

10 years ago the statistics showed:
• 60% of offenders released from prison were reconvicted of another offence within two years.
• 58% of offenders who received a probation order were reconvicted.
• 42% of offenders who began a community service were reconvicted of further offences
• 40 % of offenders who received fines were reconvicted of further offences

In 2002, in Scotland, over 80% of sentences were for 6 months or less and 70% of individuals were re-offenders.

In 2009 the statistics show that the position has deteriorated again and that the system clearly still isn’t working.

If the system is designed to reform the offender then why are there now over 70% of prisoners who re-offend within 6 months of their release?
In Scotland more than 30% of those who are locked up have committed minor offences, which include motoring offences, petty theft and non-payment of fines – around 2,500 people!!!

Each prisoner in Scotland will cost the taxpayer £35,000 each year to keep in prison.

For prisoners who are serving a ‘short’ sentence of less than 3 years there is little or no provision for employability preparation for their release and therefore the great majority have no job, no income and no home to go to on their release.
Is it any wonder that they re-offend?

Is it any wonder that when asked, over 70% of young offenders would opt to stay in prison rather than being released - because perhaps it is a better life in prison?

In a recent survey it was found that employability reduces the risk of re-offending between a third and a half. Over 70% of young men leaving prison have no job to go to on release.

It has also been shown that 39% of women prisoners had not worked for a year prior to imprisonment and 23% had not worked for over five years.  It is clear that employment is a major factor in improving the chance of successful resettlement.

It is essential that work opportunity and training be provided to enhance employability while prisoners are in custody.  However it is essential that when they are making the transition from custody to outside prison that the support be maintained.

This can be done through:
• Individual Action Planning to work towards achieving employment goals
• Employability training to enhance skills for the work place
• Work Placement opportunities while in custody to begin to prepare and train prisoners in employability skills
• Close links with local companies to enable quality work placements and training for all prisoners
• Intensive support when ex-offenders move from custody to freedom to enable them to achieve their employability goals
• Aftercare Support when participants gain employment and enable them to sustain employment

Perhaps as Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Minister has proposed, those offenders who commit minor crimes should have an alternative to Prison – employability training is one approach.