Press Release
9th February 2000
Inverclyde "a Shining Example" of the Knowledge Economy
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, today described the Knowledge Economy as "the key to guaranteed long-term prosperity in Inverclyde." Inverclyde is, he said, a shining example of the extent to which embracing the Knowledge economy can regenerate a community.
Speaking in a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue, Mr McNeil said:
"There is no denying that the decline of the traditional heavy industries, such as shipbuilding, dealt a severe blow to the economy of the west of Scotland. The fact that we did not see this coming, and were not in a position to take pre-emptive action, is a matter of lasting regret.
"We now live and work in an ever-changing global economy, where the high-tech industry of today could easily become the museum piece of tomorrow. This means that, if our economy and labour market is not flexible and adaptable enough, any new industry we attract will also be vulnerable.
"The only way to safeguard against this is to reject the low pay, low productivity, sweatshop vision of the Tories in favour of a high value, dynamic, responsive Knowledge Economy.
"An economy based on learning and transferable skills is the key to guaranteed long-term prosperity."
There were, Mr McNeil went on to reveal, many examples of this already happening in Inverclyde.
"On Monday I met, in my own constituency, a former shipyard worker who is now a nurse in a newly built intensive care unit," he said. "I also know a shipyard labourer who now teaches computer science at James Watt College. And there is even an old boilermaker who has risen to the lofty heights of becoming an MSP.
"When you look around Inverclyde it is a model of what the Knowledge economy can do for Scotland."
Mr McNeil concluded by proposing 3 measures which would be crucial in delivering a modern knowledge-based economy:
"First, I want to see the new Scottish University for Industry develop a new role for ACAS in Scotland, bringing together the employers, employees and their representatives to create the partnerships that are vital to bring about a conflict free learning environment.
"Secondly, I would like to see the establishment of a single governing body to oversee work based training and education and to ensure standards and access are maintained throughout Scotland.
"And the last of my three wishes would be that education and training does not end at the point of employment and that the right to work based training is extended beyond 16 and 17 year olds."
ENDS
Notes:
The knowledge economy represents a move from value being in plant and machinery to value being in people and skills.
It depends on having a highly skilled workforce, with the transferable skills and flexibility needed to adapt to market changes. The objective is to foster dynamism and thus prevent another disaster on the scale of the loss of shipbuilding.
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Articles ] [ Calendar ] [ Contacts ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ Open Government ] [ Scottish Parliament ]