SNP MSP Bill Kidd has today called into question Labour’s plans for a skills bill as a senior academic endorsed the Scottish Government’s skills strategy and criticised the target led approach being adopted by Labour.

The Scottish Government launched a widely acclaimed skills strategy in September.

In an article in the Sunday Herald Professor Ewart Keep of the ESRC Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance backed the SNP’s 21st century strategy as he condemned Labour’s approach as “bizarre and short-sighted” and as "a clapped out old model, born of a cold-war mentality".
 

Bill Kidd said: "This is another example of the SNP delivering what Scotland needs while Labour remains wedded to an outdated approach that has left Scotland with a skills gap.

"No wonder the SNP Government’s popularity continues to grow.

"These comments from Professor Keep show where Labour went wrong when it came to building skills in Scotland.

"Fortunately the SNP is focussed on delivering the skills Scotland needs rather than ticking boxes and meeting arbitrary quotas.

"Labour are determined to press ahead with their wrong headed strategy and do harm to Scotland’s economy.

"John Park and Wendy Alexander should heed Professor Keep’s advice.  Why should Scotland follow Westminster’s outdated approach, when it’s the SNP that are leading the way?

"Instead of forcing people through apprenticeships so bureaucrats can tick a few boxes he should look to the approach being taken by the Scottish Government and endorsed by businesses and trainers.

"It must be about quality, flexibility and meeting the skills needs of the economy – not about hitting pre-arranged quotas."