Youth Unemployment

Richard Baker Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Pat McFadden]

These short courses or apprenticeship units are something that employers have called for. Until now the minimum length of time for an apprenticeship has usually been eight or 12 months, or something like that, but these can be for a matter of weeks. We will publish more information about them as soon as we can. The sectors, including AI, in which the first wave have been announced are all sectors in which we will need the skills of young people. We are trying to adapt the training offer that we fund to the needs of employers, and one way to do that is with more short courses.

[Richard Baker (Glenrothes and Mid Fife) (Lab)]

I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement. This is exactly the kind of initiative to tackle youth unemployment that employers in Glenrothes in my constituency asked me for just a couple of weeks ago. Can he assure me that he will work with Scottish agencies and the Scotland Office to ensure that the scheme has the maximum possible impact in Scotland, where youth unemployment is also far too high?

[Pat McFadden]

Yes, of course. I want to work with the Scotland Office, the Scottish Government and anyone who can make an impact. I visited the Bellshill jobcentre in central Scotland just before Christmas. I was told by the area manager that over 40% of the young people on her caseload were on what was called the “health journey”. That should bring us up short. It should tell us and warn us about the stickiness and the long-term effects of a young person being off long-term on sickness benefits. We have to do more to get opportunity to those young people and help them into work. I hope the package I have brought forward today can help us to do that.