Scotland can create over 200,000 jobs in new industries
The Scottish Greens today (3 May) will highlight their plans to create over 200,000 jobs in new industries, and their policy of a Scotland Guarantee of work, training or further education for every school leaver.
Party co-conveners Patrick Harvie and Maggie Chapman will visit Fife College in Rosyth, the first college to develop wind turbine technician apprenticeships. The college is aiming to become a centre for excellence in renewables.
The visit comes as figures from WWF Scotland show output from Scotland's wind turbines was up 15 per cent last month compared to same period last year.
Patrick Harvie, economy spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Glasgow, said:
"With more Green MSPs Holyrood can be bolder and prioritise investment in the jobs of the future. Scotland's economy is facing huge challenges, not least from the inevitable decline in the oil and gas sectors, so the need for a plan of action has never been greater. Only the Greens offer that plan, and today's visit underlines the Scottish Green Party's manifesto commitment to investment in skills and new jobs that will last."
Maggie Chapman, social justice spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for the North East, said:
"Most Scots want and indeed expect Scotland to become a fairer country, and part of that journey must be the creation of high quality jobs in industries that have a future. In my own region in the North East there is huge potential for offshore renewables but also for oil and gas decommissioning; work that is at risk of being lost to overseas firms. A bolder Holyrood with new Green voices will push for a Scotland Guarantee of work, training or further education for all school leavers."
Mark Ruskell, environment spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Mid Scotland and Fife, said:
"Fife College is blazing a trail and it's vital that Holyrood gets fully behind efforts to close the skills gap and promote engineering excellence. I want companies to flock to Fife as one of Europe’s top hubs for renewable energy development and deployment. That will only come by growing a skilled workforce through a sustained investment in skills and infrastructure. There needs to be a renewed political commitment from all parties to deliver the post-Longannet jobs Fife communities want and deserve."