Scottish Government mini-Reshuffle

Unexpectedly, but not unsurprisingly, Alex Salmond moved Fiona Hyslop from Education to Culture and External Affairs today. She will take over the remit of Mike Russell but without the constitutional element and Mike Russell has moved to Education.

Mr Salmond will take personal responsibility for constitutional matters.

Fiona Hyslop has had a difficult time in the post of Education Secretary especially recently when some councils refused to reduce class sizes and employ more teachers. This was part of the 'concordat' the SNP agreed with COSLA and the SNP government insist councils were given the money to take the appropriate action. We have yet to be told by councils where the money was spent if not on education.

Alex Salmond said :

Schools policy has reached a difficult period with our disagreement with many local authorities about their failure to reduce class sizes by sustaining teacher numbers, while we have achieved a new record low in primary school class sizes.

“It is appropriate that a fresh look is taken at this and other schooling issues to break the impasse for the benefit of parents, teachers and children. I believe that Michael Russell can bring new thinking to this tough task.

A smart move at the right time. The problem with councils unable to adhere to agreements needs fresh thinking. This mini-shuffle has probably been on the cards for some time. After all, yesterday Mike Russell fulfilled his remit to deliver the Bill on Scotland's constitutional future.

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Firms to Receive £2,000 to help 'Adopt an Apprentice'

Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop is to announce the £1.7m ScotAction initiative at the Usher Hall today. Unemployed apprentices are to be helped back into work by the Scottish government paying firms up to £2,000 to hire them. It means hundred of apprentices who have had their training interrupted will now be able to complete it. The package has been designed to help Scotland's economy out of recession and put it back on the road to economic growth the government said.

Ms Hyslop said she had learnt first-hand at an apprenticeship summit six weeks ago that financial incentives for employers were a key way of encouraging them to recruit more. The Scottish government is to spend £16m this year on funding 7,800 new apprenticeships.

The word apprenticeship seems to be used in a far broader context that it was even 10 years ago and it can be used to describe any form of training. I would like to see the details of this package in the hope that some questions are answered and these include:

1 Do these apprenticeships include a qualification recognised by a relevant industrial body?

2 Is college day release mandatory?

3 Are the employers who are receiving these £2,000 handouts compelled to employ the apprentice, even for a limited time, once the apprenticeship is completed?

If the answer to any of these questions are doubtful then these are not apprenticeships but training places.

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