Six-month shake-up for Scottish salons

The Scottish Training Federation express the urge for immediate reconsideration following sixth-month apprenticeship freeze announcement

In a recent survey carried out by members of the Scottish Training Federation (STF) this week, the findings revealed two devastating points for the industry. Training providers who deliver apprenticeships in Scotland may be forced to make redundancies, or in some worst-case scenarios, completely close their business in the next few months. 

The unfortunate news follows an announcement from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) that the number of apprenticeship places available will undergo a six-month freeze, as well as budgets for training providers delivering these programmes also being frozen. This will result in some being unable to offer apprenticeships until April 2023.  

On top of that, the freeze means that some young people may not be able to complete their apprenticeship, be denied the opportunity to access one, or for those already in training this presents a risk of delay for certification if businesses close.  

In an industry crying out for apprenticeships, the news is particularly damning. STF executive, Stuart McKenna believes the timing is incredibly wrong. “We have strong demand from employers who want to upskill their staff, and a strong demand from young people looking to better themselves,” he says. Shutting down operations for six months is not an option in Stuart’s opinion.

The Scottish Training Federation are expressing their urgency for Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Government to ensure that they lift the freeze on apprenticeship places and budgets and ask that a further 2,000 apprenticeships are provided to meet significant employer demand. 

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