UK Government to invest directly in Scottish colleges, says defence minister

A UK defence minister has said the UK Government is discussing investing directly in Scottish colleges to tackle skills shortages in the sector.

Education is fully devolved to Scotland, meaning it is for the Scottish Parliament to decide on funding for further education institutions.

The sector, however, has been struggling in recent years, with a report from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) last month suggesting most of Scotland’s institutions were “not sustainable”.

The UK Government has shown a willingness to provide direct funding to devolved areas in Scotland, after having previously proposed its Pride in Pace fund, which gives funding to councils for community initiatives.

Speaking to Scottish journalists in London on Tuesday, defence procurement minister Luke Pollard said: “The dither that we’ve seen from the Scottish Government is one of the reasons why we’ve decided on a policy that injects funding in skills across the UK.

“I’ve been meeting with Scottish MPs to discuss how the investment that we want to make in (further education) colleges, in skills, can be delivered in Scotland, because there’s an impatience that I have and the Secretary of State has.

“We know there’s work in Scotland to be done, we know there’s young people who would succeed if they were given the chance, and they’re not being given that chance with a Government that is not valuing their sector and that’s precisely why we’re stepping up to fund the places in Scotland that are needed, because these are good jobs.”

Trades like welding, the minister said, offered the potential of an “entire career of being well paid”, not just in the defence industry.

“So it seems like a win-win, and it seems confusing to me why the Scottish Government would be turning its back on good, well-paid jobs.”

Higher education minister Ben Macpherson said: “It is extremely concerning that a UK Government minister is apparently threatening to bypass the devolution settlement and interfere in Scotland’s colleges, which are entirely devolved.

“The UK Government must make clear that this is not their intention as a matter of urgency. Anything else would be completely unacceptable and show contempt for the Scottish Parliament.”