On Monday Mark visited Telford College with Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy MP and the Scottish Labour Party’s Leader, Iain Gray MSP.

They re-affirmed Labour's commitment to youth training as a key component of Scotland's economic recovery. The main part of this is the Young Persons' Guarantee, guaranteeing a job or training place for every 18-24 year old out of work for 6 months, and the Future Jobs Fund.

The visit launched this year's "Colleges Mean Business" campaign to improve links between colleges and business in Scotland.
 
Mark said:

"I am delighted to welcome Jim Murphy and Iain Gray to Telford College to see the great work that is going on in Edinburgh to get Scotland's economy back on track."

"Colleges across Edinburgh are helping young people learn skills to drive forward Scotland's current and future industries.  The initiative to promote better links with business and local colleges brought forward by the Association of Scotland's Colleges is a great way to promote what local colleges like Telford College have to offer."

Jim Murphy added:

"These students and apprentices are the future of Scotland's economic success."

"Labour has recognised the importance of young people to the Scottish economy by guaranteeing a job or training place, like the ones on offer at Telford, for every 18-24 year old out of work for 6 months and creating a Future Jobs Fund that has helped create 10,000 new Scottish jobs.

"It's great to see Labour's commitment in action and to help launch Scotland's College's campaign to bring business and colleges closer together.

"The Tories showed they would risk this type of progress by opposing our plans like the Future Jobs Fund.  The Tories are a change that Scotland's young people can't afford and only Labour can keep them out of Government."