THE head of Scotland’s largest construction trade body has expressed serious concern over the combination of rising wages and decreasing financial support for taking on apprentices.
SELECT MD Alan Wilson has spoken out ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026. He claimed that while the electrotechnical industry has been the biggest single trade employer of apprentices for some time, recent financial decisions by the UK and Scottish Governments were beginning to deter employers from taking on young learners.
“We constantly hear from government at all levels about the importance of apprenticeships in our sector,” he said. “But like some clever table magician, they show – or more likely say – on one hand what they want you to hear while, on the other hand, they are more often than not doing the complete opposite.
“The increase in the Apprentice National Minimum Wage to £8 per hour, announced by the UK Government at last year’s budget, is a huge cost to many small firms, especially when the apprentice spends a great deal of the first stage at college. On top of that, the financial support which the Scottish Government gives to the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) to run the electrical apprenticeship scheme on behalf of the industry has not increased for more than eight years. In fact, when inflation is taken into account, it has DECREASED by over 30%.”
Recent reports suggest the UK Government is considering slowing down its plans to increase the youth minimum wage – but Mr Wilson insisted that’s already too late for the many Scottish SMEs already counting the rising cost of apprenticeships.
He explained, “Small and micro-sized concerns recruit the most apprentices and are the very type of firms who need government support, but the short-sightedness of politicians is rolling the skills shortage forward, not back. Technical apprenticeships in Scotland’s electrotechnical sector are an investment in our society. They create skilled, high tax-paying workers earlier, reduce youth unemployment and generate long-term returns through higher productivity and sustained tax income.
“By backing electrotechnical apprenticeships, Scotland strengthens its skills pipeline where it matters most: in high-demand, future-focused roles that support net zero, infrastructure growth and a resilient domestic workforce.
“I have always been extremely proud of the number of apprentices our industry recruits, year on year and it is clear that electrical installation apprenticeships give young people a chance to earn while they learn, gaining respected qualifications and building a clear, well-paid career without the burden of student debt.
“Doing nothing is not an option but it does seem that those who make decisions on these issues need to visit their optician as their short-sighted views are going to end up affecting our whole economy. One day they will maybe come to their senses – but there’s no evidence of that so far.”
