Fergus Ewing calls on Humza Yousaf to ditch the DRS and HPMAs to secure young workforce scheme
Fergus Ewing has called on First Minister Humza Yousaf to scrap both the Deposit Return Scheme and the Highly Protected Marine Areas plans to instead plough the cash into rescuing the Developing the Young Workforce (DWY) network.
He supported claims made by businessman Chris Dowling, the chairman of the Inverness and Central Highlands branch of DWY who fears “a potential complete collapse” amid serious funding concerns.
Introduced in 2014 to tackle high levels of youth unemployment, DYW was born of a commission chaired by billionaire philanthropist Sir Ian Wood and has seen thousands of young Highlanders get jobs and training.
But amid broad pressures on spending the government is looking to cut spending but the Inverness and Nairn MSP fears that DYW is the wrong place to do that, particularly given the severe criticism that the DRS and HPMAs have come in for.
“I have been working with Chris Dowling and others for several months in seeking to persuade the Scottish Government to provide continued funding over a long period for stability and confidence of all in the scheme,” said Mr Ewing.
“At first a further year’s funding was sought – not a very long period when one takes into account the people in the jobs who lack job security beyond a year. But even that was not granted and funding was restricted to I think a further six months only.
“I am making further representations to the Scottish Government on this and seeking an urgent meeting with the minister responsible now. I am aware that MSPs across the party divide are also raising this and so there is broad support for the programme which has been a success story in helping young people into work.
“I would respectfully suggest to the new First MInister, that to find the money we should drop the defective Deposit Return Scheme, scrap the hugely unpopular Highly Protected Marine areas and instead allow local fisheries management, and abandon the court challenge to the GRR bill, which top judges say is doomed to fail and instead sit round the table with the UK government to find a solution.
“If he were to take these steps, he can then instead, use the substantial public money saved from these flawed policies, towards helping young people find work.”
