Progress on Scottish apprenticeship numbers is in danger due to uncertainty over an upcoming UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Gordon Nelson, Director of FMB Scotland, said apprenticeship growth would be undone unless the Scottish Government commits to to re-investing funds raised by the new Levy.

"Now that the elections are behind us, and the relevant Ministers are in place, we want a clear message from the Scottish Government that they will engage with the construction industry and others to develop a workable policy for investing the Apprenticeship Levy that works for the Scottish construction sector," he said.

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"It's crucial that we get this right as the Scottish construction industry is already in the midst of a skills crisis – the FMB's latest State of Trade Survey showed that nearly half of SME employers are struggling to recruit carpenters, and that more than one in three are finding it difficult to source plumbers. These kinds of shortages could have a potentially disastrous effect on the nation's key housing and infrastructure objectives."

(LM)