We published the first research on apprenticeship schemes across Great Britain two years ago, and that was the first time that the ethnic minority data became visible. Prior to that, Skills Development Scotland had published only gender data.
The most recent data that I have seen came out about two or three weeks ago. It showed that 1.4 per cent of modern apprenticeships in Scotland are held by ethnic minorities, compared with a base population that we would say, as a minimum, would be 4 per cent. In specific areas such as Glasgow, we would expect that base population to be far higher, whereas in areas such as Orkney, we would expect it to be far lower.
The issue that you raise has been a persistent problem since we first looked at the data in 2012. We have been working with the employability team alongside the Wood commission, and we have highlighted three issues in particular to Wood and to the Scottish Government, and in conversation with Skills Development Scotland.
The first issue is the unreliability of the current data. We in Scotland do not capture data about applications for modern apprenticeships, so although we know that the resulting share is 1.4 per cent, we do not know how many people are actually applying for apprenticeships.
The second issue is that no targets have been in place. It would appear that, for many years, Skills Development Scotland—as a public body bound by the Equality Act 2010 and its specific duties—has not been keeping as close an eye on this area as we would expect. Through Wood and in our conversations with Skills Development Scotland, we have encouraged the establishment of targets—not quotas—for attainment.
The third area of work in which we have been involved with SDS relates specifically to procurement and contracting. There is a responsibility, as public money is disbursed to colleges, employers and training providers, for those targets and the Government’s desire to boost ethnic minority participation to be reflected in the contracts. We have been working on that recently with SDS.