The SNP today highlighted investment in education and skills as part of a package of measures in place to help the people of Glasgow North East through Labour's recession with a visit to a local college.

Under the SNP, John Wheatley College has seen funding increase to create extra students places during the economic downturn and to support work with schools to keep young people in education.

SNP candidate David Kerr and Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop also met young apprentices at the college. The SNP has provided record funding to support 1000 new Commonwealth Games apprenticeships in Glasgow, as well as measures to keep apprentices in work during the recession.

Speaking at John Wheatley College East End campus where he joined a group of apprentice joiners, SNP candidate David Kerr said: "When it comes to education, Labour have their priorities all wrong. Despite a record settlement from the SNP Government, the Labour Council have closed five primary schools in Glasgow North East against the wishes of parents, slashed teacher numbers and increased class sizes across the city.

"Contrast this with the SNP who are investing record amounts in education and training across Glasgow. The SNP Government are funding 1000 Commonwealth Games apprenticeships and boosting cash for colleges - giving our young people the opportunities they deserve.

"Where Labour has let this area down, the SNP are putting in the real investment into developing the skills our young people need."

Cabinet Secretary for Education Fiona Hyslop added: "The SNP is committed to providing a great education for people of all ages in this constituency both here at John Wheatley and across in North Glasgow College we are investing additional resources to support jobs and training through the recession.

"The SNP's commitment of 1000 apprentices specifically for Glasgow to help build the Commonwealth Games is delivering real opportunities for young people in Glasgow North East and our ScotAction programme is keeping apprentices in work and in training through the recession.

"Only last month the SNP put in place a new package of support for students that will really benefit people returning to college after work or unemployment, providing grants for the first time ever and putting aside £2 million to support childcare for those studying for their future."

Notes:

1.       John Wheatley College Summary

The SNP Government has increased funding for colleges, with John Wheatley College receiving £6.9 million in the last year.

To help people through the recession John Wheatley College received an additional £171,801 to provide extra places for students· In 2009-10 John Wheatley College has also received a 4.6% overall increase in teaching funds, with specific additional funding for around 40,000 hours of school-college partnership learning, and a 17.1% increase in bursary funding to support FE students financially.

2.       Apprenticeships

The SNP Government is funding Glasgow City Council to deliver 1000 apprenticeship places.

• Glasgow's young people also have access to £16m to provide an additional 7,800 apprenticeship places - a 73% increase and taking us above the level inherited from the previous administration, with additional places set aside specifically for: 100 in Home Energy & Efficiency,  50 in Creative Industries, 500 in Hospitality & Tourism, 410 in Food & Drink, 460 in Financial & Business Services, 1,250 in Health & Social Care - more than doubling the total, 170 in Early Years & Childcare, 2,000 in Retail, 600 in Management
• £3m in match funding for life sciences employers who take on an apprentice to pay for taking on a second - the '2 for 1' deal.
• Safeguard An Apprentice - providing £75 per week towards employment costs for employers in construction, manufacturing or engineering who are at risk of making their apprentices redundant.
• Invest In An Apprentice - a £2,000 incentive to small and medium businesses in food & drink, energy, manufacturing and textile sectors to recruit apprentices aged 16-19. This now has a second phase of £2,000 to microbusinesses (less than 10 employees) to recruit a management apprentice.
• Adopt An Apprentice - a £1.7m scheme to provide a £2,000 incentive to take on apprentices that have been made redundant.
• Doubling the number of career advisers in Skills Development Scotland available to support workers facing redundancy and dedicating staff to work alongside JobCentre Plus for a joined-up service.
• £200 and £500 grants through the Individual Learning Accounts for part-time work-focused training or study, extended to 16-17 year olds, and to an additional 250,000 people with moderate incomes.
• Students studying towards HNCs and HNDs at colleges will also benefit from increases of between £600 and £1,200 funding next year, with mature students for the first time qualifying for a grant of up to £1,000.