Question reference: S5W-29973
- Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 16 June 2020 Registered interest
-
Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 June 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remedy any skills shortages in the construction industry for the delivery of affordable housing in the North East Scotland region, where workers might be attracted by better-paid offshore jobs.
Answer
Construction remains a priority for the Scottish Government, with 23% of all Modern Apprenticeship starts in 2019-2020 being in the Construction and related occupational grouping. The Scottish Government continues to recognise the importance of an agile, flexible grouping approach that enables the apprenticeship offer to respond to the requirements of the economy and the sectors within it.
The delivery of affordable housing in the North East continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government and plays a key role in supporting the construction sector. In 2020-21, local authority resource planning assumptions in the North East area, allocated through the affordable housing supply programme, will total £82.244m. (Aberdeenshire - £32.626m, Aberdeen City - £20.658m, Angus - £9.681m, Dundee - £19.279m).