Labour MP John Grady has warned that weaknesses in Scotland’s education system are leaving some young people without the numeracy skills employers need, after businesses told him they were having to provide basic training themselves.
The Glasgow East MP raised the issue in the House of Commons during questions on young people not in education, employment or training, arguing that stronger numeracy skills are essential both for individual opportunity and for Scotland’s economy. Parliament records Grady questioning ministers on the issue on 14 September.
Grady said:
“Scotland’s education system used to be the envy of the world.”
But he said he had been “disheartened” to hear businesses report that they were having to provide numeracy training to young recruits.
He added:
“It is vital that schools in Scotland develop these skills in our young people.”
Employers raise concerns over basic skills
Grady’s intervention reflects a wider concern among employers about whether young people are leaving education with the skills required for work.
He has previously told Parliament that businesses in his constituency regularly raise skills and education as priorities, arguing that investment in education is important not only for pupils but for economic growth and productivity.
For employers, weaknesses in basic numeracy can create additional training costs and make it harder for young workers to move quickly into skilled jobs.
Debate over Scotland’s education performance
The intervention comes amid an increasingly sharp political debate about education standards in Scotland.
Recent Scottish Parliament exchanges have focused on international PISA results and attainment in maths and reading, with critics pointing to declines over the past decade. The Scottish Government has defended its record, highlighting record literacy and numeracy attainment under Curriculum for Excellence measures and a narrowing poverty-related attainment gap.
That leaves a contested picture, with opposition politicians arguing that Scotland has fallen behind internationally while ministers point to improvements in domestic attainment measures.
Labour focuses on skills and employment
Grady’s question also fits with Labour’s broader emphasis on improving the transition between education and employment.
The Government has been putting greater focus on technical education, apprenticeships, work experience and closer cooperation between schools, colleges and employers.
For Grady, numeracy is a basic foundation of that agenda. Young people need strong core skills if they are to take advantage of apprenticeships, technical training and better-paid work.
Businesses should not have to fill the gap
Grady’s central argument is that employers should not be left to compensate for weaknesses that should have been addressed during a young person’s time at school.
While workplace training will always play an important role, he argues that young people should enter employment with the basic numeracy and literacy skills needed to succeed.
His message is that Scotland’s economic future depends on giving young people the right foundations early — ensuring schools equip them with the practical skills businesses need and opening up more opportunities for good jobs and long-term careers.
