Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess has challenged the Scottish Government over what she described as a postcode lottery that is preventing care experienced young people in the north of Scotland from accessing construction training.
Speaking during Portfolio Questions at Holyrood, she highlighted that there are currently no roof slating and tiling training courses available north of Arbroath.
She argued that young people who have grown up in care are being shut out of key trades not because of a lack of ambition, but because of geography.
For those in rural and island communities, she said, the problem is even more acute.
Many care experienced young people rely on the stability of a settled home and relocating to access apprenticeships or specialist college courses is neither realistic nor fair.
Addressing Parliament, Ariane Burgess said:
“At present, apprenticeships in critically important sectors are simply off-limits for rural and island-based young people who are care-experienced and could find it destabilising to leave their forever homes.
“There are no roof slating training courses north of Arbroath, effectively preventing many young people across the Highlands and Islands from pursuing an apprenticeship in that key line of work.”
She urged ministers to take concrete action to close the gap and ensure that opportunities in vital trades are not restricted by postcode.
The call comes against the backdrop of The Promise, Scotland’s national commitment to improving the lives of children and young people who have grown up in care.
Ariane Burgess pressed the government on how it intends to ensure that young people in the Highlands and Islands, and across rural Scotland, are not excluded from skilled trades that are central to local economies.
The issue is particularly significant in the Highlands and Islands, where the construction sector faces ongoing skills shortages.
Traditional crafts such as roof slating and stonework remain in demand, especially for the maintenance and repair of older homes that define much of the region’s housing stock.
