Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has welcomed the Scottish Government's decision to match-fund the UK Government's £10 million commitment to create two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Scotland, as part of a £50 million Scottish Defence Growth Deal.
The colleges will sit in Scotland's defence clusters in the East and West of the country and will benefit from engineering and innovation centres previously announced under the deal. They are designed to give young people specialist pathways into high-skilled careers in defence engineering, advanced manufacturing and maritime technology.
Scotland already benefits from more than £2.5 billion a year in Ministry of Defence spending, which directly supports around 12,200 jobs. Industry analysis points to demand for up to 50,000 additional defence jobs across the UK by 2034-35.
Douglas Alexander: 'Skills for high-paid careers'
"In March we announced a £10 million commitment to develop two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Scotland. I'm pleased that the Scottish Government has now agreed to match fund these colleges to give our young people the skills they need to secure high-skilled, well-paid careers in Scotland's defence sector in the years to come," Douglas Alexander said.
"Scotland is a defence industrial powerhouse and is already benefiting from increased UK Government investment as we deliver a defence dividend for Scotland, creating new skilled jobs, new training places and new opportunities for communities while keeping us and our allies secure."
Luke Pollard: 'Routes into defence'
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said matching the funding was "welcome news for Scottish careers" and an important part of the Defence Growth Deal announced in March to boost growth opportunities that support the Armed Forces.
Scottish Government innovation minister Alyn Smith confirmed on 15 October that Holyrood ministers would partner with the UK Government on the project, ending the condition that the UK's offer depended on match funding.
