UK ministers urge Scottish Government to match funding for defence colleges
The defence readiness minister and Scottish Secretary announced a £50 million growth deal in Paisley on Thursday.
The UK Government has pledged to help create two “defence technical excellence colleges” in Scotland if its funding is matched by ministers in Edinburgh.
As part of a £50 million growth deal announced on Thursday, UK ministers also pledged money for innovation centres in Rosyth, Fife, and near the Faslane naval base in Argyll and Bute.
Defence readiness minister Luke Pollard announced the deal in Paisley on Thursday, alongside Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander.
Some £10 million has been set aside for two “defence technical excellence colleges” (DTEC), one of which would be in the east of Scotland and the other in the west.
The ministers said that if their money is matched by the Scottish Government, they will work with colleges to understand which institutions could receive the DTEC status.
They said the colleges would provide pathways to highly-skilled careers in the defence industry.
While defence is a matter reserved to Westminster, education and skills are devolved to Holyrood.
Mr Pollard said: “We pledged a defence growth deal for Scotland and today we are delivering on that commitment. Scotland is not just part of the UK’s defence story - it is vital to it.
“From the Clyde to Rosyth, from Edinburgh to the Highlands, Scottish industry, Scottish workers and Scottish ingenuity are keeping Britain secure.
“This £50 million deal will ensure Scotland leads in the technologies that will define the next generation of defence - maritime, space, quantum and advanced engineering.
“It will create good jobs, back businesses and ensure Scotland leads the next chapter of Britain’s defence story.”
Speaking to journalists at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, he said: “We’ve been absolutely clear with the Scottish Government that we expect to see more support for skills in Scotland.
“The MoD as a reserved department is putting in huge amounts more money in Scottish businesses.
“But we need to see a collaborative approach on skills if we’re to realise the full benefit of that increasing defence budget.”
Mr Alexander said: “The UK Government stands ready to commit £10 million for these two defence technical excellence colleges in Scotland.
“I urge the Scottish Government to now work with us and match-fund these colleges to give our young people the skills they need to secure high-skilled, well-paid careers in the defence industries in Scotland in the years to come.”
The Ministry of Defence says it spends around £2 billion a year in Scotland, supporting nearly 12,000 jobs.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “Investment in Scotland’s defence sector is welcome. The sector is fundamental to our national security, but also a strategic driver of economic growth.
“The Scottish Government has been clear that engagement and collaboration on the UK Government’s defence growth deal is essential to deliver maximum economic opportunities for Scotland.
“Indeed, some of this work overlaps with initiatives on which the Scottish Government has oversight, such as the Clyde Engineering and Innovation Centre which was announced a year ago as part of the Argyll and Bute Growth Deal.
“The Scottish Government has requested a role on the committee which will support the design and implementation of the defence growth deal in Scotland.”
