More apprenticeships in the construction sector are the solution to the current skills shortage in the construction sector and not low level offenders with no experience says the Federation of Master Builders in response to the announcement from the Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill.

Grahame Barn, Director FMB Scotland said: "Mr MacAskill's suggestion that convicts should be sent to work in the construction sector degrades the industry and adds nothing helpful to the debate on how to tackle the skills shortage in the industry. Scotland and the construction industry have a long history of training apprentices to ensure the future of the industry. We have some of the best levels of apprenticeship training in the UK, with 45% of FMB member companies in Scotland employ apprentices but it is still not good enough. Government should be looking at ways to encourage more firms to take on apprentices, such as through the procurement process and funding, not coming up with hair-brain ideas about untrained offenders."


(CD/JM)