I was delighted to see new figures that revealed there were182 apprentices in training in Orkney at the end of last year.
Knowing that there are issues with the construction industry supply chain in Orkney, due to how busy the sector is but also due to a shortage of folk moving into the workforce, it must be welcome that many of these apprentices will be in training for the building trades.
The numbers show the difference that SNP improvements have made to Modern Apprentices in the islands.
The Orkney figure is part of 39,589 total Modern Apprenticeships across Scotland at the end of 2024.
The SNP’s recently passed Scottish Budget commits £100 million in funding for Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships in 2025-26, expanding opportunities for Orkney folk.
Under the SNP, we have record numbers of young people securing places on Modern Apprenticeship schemes, and these recent figures show a rise in participants from communities across the country.
The SNP recognises the importance of apprenticeships, which is why we implemented £100 million for Modern Apprenticeships in the recent Scottish Budget.
Apprenticeships provide outstanding opportunities for our young people to acquire key skills and are a route into high quality careers.
Enhancing the workforce of Orkney’s key industries is vital for the sustainable future of the islands, both socially and economically. If folk are employed in jobs that are paying well, then they are more likely to be able to afford to stay in Orkney, where housing is still a pressure area, rather than joining what has been a steady drift of young folk away from the islands.
And talking of housing, I welcome the further measures to prevent people experiencing the trauma of homelessness that are being introduced as part of amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which I have played a part in shaping over recent months.
Scottish Government amendments to the Bill will require a range of services to do more to prevent homelessness and to co-operate, share information and will be specific on what is required of them to help folk remain in their homes, supported by £4 million pilot programmes in 2025-26.
Scotland already has the strongest homeless rights in the world, but we want to go even further. As someone who has experienced homelessness, I am passionate about seeing it prevented. These changes to the Housing Bill will increase the likelihood that people will receive help before reaching the point of crisis.
I also recognise that the right to a safe and stable home is essential to the Scottish Government’s priority of ending child poverty. The Bill will help reach that goal.
With homelessness being a pressure in Orkney as much as anywhere else, it is as vital to folk here to have these amendments that will further strengthen rights and give them the help they need by ensuring that preventing homelessness becomes a collective responsibility across society.
I hope that these amendments will gain cross-party support when they come to a vote at Holyrood.
This is a regular column by SNP MSP Emma Roddick. All Highlands and Islands MSPs have been offered the same space in The Orkney News to share their personal views.