By Liam Hay
A new report into the National Transition Training Fund has revealed that the SNP Government has failed to meet its headline target of training 6,000 people by 4,800.
The report published today reveals that rather than reaching the 6,000 target for unemployed people trained by March 2021 it only trained 1,206 people.
This was despite minister Jamie Hepburn previously telling Parliament on 9th November 2021 that “Overall, in year 1, with some final figures still to be confirmed, up to 9,000 people have benefited from the training opportunities.”
LibDem education spokesperson Willie Rennie and the SNP’s Jamie Hepburn.
Mr Rennie has now raised a point of order in the Scottish Parliament asking whether ministers will now correct the record.
Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said: “The headline target of 6,000 people by March 2021 was missed by a wide margin. The scheme has fallen flat and failed thousands of unemployed people at a time they needed help most.
“To award places for 1206 people when the target was 6000 is a colossal failure.
“And rather than be frank about that failure the Minister attempted to pull the wool over our eyes by claiming 9000 people had been awarded places.
“It is typical of this government who talk a great game but often fail to deliver.”
Mr Rennie’s point of order was as follows:
“Point of order, Presiding Officer. I seek your guidance on the potential misleading of the parliament by a minister.
“The National Transition Training Fund was launched in October 2020 by the then minister Fiona Hyslop who said “…the initial £11 million phase of the fund…will help up to 6,000 people by March 2021.” This was targeted at unemployed people.
“In a debate in November last year, I had an exchange with minister Jamie Hepburn on the National Transition Training Fund and the government’s failure to meet its target of 6000.
“This was based on a media confirmation earlier in the year in which Mr Hepburn said: “3000 places have been awarded.”
“In the debate Mr Hepburn intervened on my point about the failure to meet the 6000 target for strand one to correct his own claim stating the number was actually 9000.
“However, in today’s report on the National Transition Training Fund we discover the number for strand one wasn’t 9000 or 6000 or even 3000 but was actually 1206.
“So the minister claimed the scheme was a success and had exceeded its target by 3000 places when in fact it had fallen short by 4800.
“Failing 4800 unemployed people in their time of need and potentially misleading parliament on its success.
“As is often the case with this government the talk is better than the action. Can the Presiding Officer set out what avenues there are for ministers to correct the record?”
ENDS