Figures released by Skills Development Scotland this week have shown that Modern Apprenticeship starts in Perth and Kinross have fallen again and are significantly lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures show that the number of new starts in Perth and Kinross has stagnated in the past two years, falling by one from 387 in 2024/25 to 386 in 2025/26, and a 22% decrease from the 492 new starts in 2019/20.
Murdo is calling on the Scottish Government to address the falling number of new Modern Apprentices which has fallen dramatically across local authorities, from 17,101 in 2019/20 to 13,891 in 2025/26. The SNP stated in their manifesto that they will increase apprenticeships by 150,000 over this parliament, with a new Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant, which will be supported by the Apprenticeship Levy.
Commenting, Murdo said, “These statistics are really concerning. Apprenticeships are so crucial for the economy and more importantly for our future workforce.
“Each year on Scottish Apprenticeship Week I hear of the challenges facing businesses across Perth and Kinross who want to hire more apprentices, but with mounting costs and not enough government support, it is becoming less feasible, and this is becoming blatantly clear in the figures released by Skills Development Scotland this week.
“The Government need to hold true to their manifesto, and the introduction of an Apprenticeship Grant would be a welcome development, but why this measure wasn’t taken in the last parliament raises questions about the SNP’s commitment to apprenticeships.
“Funds from the apprenticeship levy must be ring-fenced and businesses need to be supported, encouraging growth and prosperity in Scotland.”
