MSP and INEOS workers discuss Scottish Apprenticeship Bill
30 May 2008
John Park MSP will meet with fellow Unite members at the INEOS
Grangemouth refinery today (Friday 30th May) as part of the
consultation process of Labour's Apprenticeship (Scotland)
Bill.
The Bill which has been put forward by the member for Mid-Scotland
& Fife would create some 30,000 Modern Apprenticeship
placements in Scotland if passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Bill aims to establish a number of key provisions including a
right to undertake an apprenticeship for anyone between the age of
16 and 18 years old.
Mr Park said, "I believe that we need to see a radical shift in
apprenticeship policy in Scotland to ensure our people are best
equipped for the economic challenges of the 21st century and the
provisions of the Bill would help achieve this.
Visiting workplaces such as INEOS is absolutely crucial to the
development of this Bill. Here we have a massive skilled and
unionised workforce - in a key industrial sector - where a strong
apprenticeship policy has played a vital role in the sustained
success of this Petro-Chemical site. The input of Unite
members at INEOS will prove invaluable."
Unite Scottish Secretary John Quigley added, "Unite and our members
have been at the forefront of modern apprenticeship best practice
for many years and I have no doubt the response from workers at
INEOS will boost the consultation process further.
The Bill put forward by John Park - himself a former apprentice -
is vitally important as it has the potential to give tens of
thousands of young people in Scotland the opportunity to train and
gain a crucial advantage in the hyper-competitive global
economy."
Apprenticeship numbers in Scotland have increased sharply over the
last decade. However, quality vocational training
opportunities are increasingly hard to come by and competition for
apprenticeships is fierce with hundreds of applicants for every
place.
ENDS
For further information please contact the Unite Scottish
Campaigns, Policy & Research Unit on 0141 248 7131 or
07810157931.
