A Scottish careers advice organisation looks set to shed scores of jobs over the next few months in an effort to cope with the impact of government spending cuts, it has been revealed.
According to BBC News, Skills Development Scotland is currently facing a reduction in its budget of around £20 million and is hoping that 125 members of its staff will take voluntary redundancy.
The news sparked controversy among the country’s politicians, with Labour MSP David Whitton demanding an explanation from newly-appointed skills minister Angela Constance and claiming the move could be counter-productive.
“It simply doesn’t make sense that the agency tasked with helping people find alternative employment … is itself making 125 people redundant in the teeth of a recession,” he said.
Last week, figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that Britain’s jobless total had risen above 2.5 million people, with the increase largely driven by the initial cull of public sector employees.
Posted by Hayley Edwards
