Anne McLaughlin MSP has welcomed an announcement by Skills Minister Keith Brown today that Scottish businesses have already signed up to employ more than 7,000 Modern Apprentices this year.

SNP MSP for Glasgow, Ms McLaughlin said: "It's extremely encouraging news that 7,000 young people and adults will be able to start work this month as Modern Apprentices. The Scottish Government exceeded its target to provide 20,000 Modern Apprenticeships last year, and from today's announcement it looks like this coming year will be another bumper one for apprentices.

"This is vital investment by the SNP government, which will not only build the skills and knowledge to drive Scotland's future success, but also help to ease the human and social costs of recession. Apprenticeships get young people leaving school and college into work and provide adults who have lost their jobs during the economic downturn with the opportunity to retrain, which is why the SNP has made it a priority to provide more Modern Apprenticeship places in more sectors than ever before."