Farmer says you can't get better than a YTS training programme

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 21:05

KWIK-FIT founder and multi-millionaire Sir Tom Farmer yesterday called for businesses to get involved with local communities to address social problems and youth unemployment – but also demanded government subsidies to help create jobs for young people.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting, Farmer criticised the government, claiming that a "few million pounds" would be sufficient to revive the former Youth Training Scheme (YTS ). If this happened he said he would hire 20 young people "tomorrow".

Farmer said the "biggest problem for young people is unemployment".

"We could solve it if there was a willingness to solve it. I don't know what is taking government so much time. Why don't they bring out and update what was the YTS scheme?" he asked.

"Why doesn't the government put up a few million pounds – and it is only a few million – and give subsidies to any organisation that takes on a young person and gives them a job?

"If they introduced that scheme today I could guarantee I could give 20 jobs tomorrow to young people. And if all organisations could take one or two people, think of the difference we would make. I don't know why they mess about so much."

Ron Hewitt, the chief executive of the Edinburgh Chamber – attended by about 300 members – used the event to launch a campaign for the "radical reform" of the Scottish public sector.

He argued that government indebtedness was in danger of causing a "crushing fiscal burden" on both business and the public sector.

Hewitt argued that the Scottish Government could spend "some 5 billion less and achieve the same outcomes" and that the chamber campaign would seek to bring "public-sector pay, pensions and employment levels into line with private-sector norms".

He said: "Reform means higher productivity, better services and more room for growth."

But the new president of the chamber, Robert Carr, said the organisation would not go to war with the public sector.

Instead it would "work in partnership" with local authorities, the Scottish Government and Whitehall.

Carr, who is chairman of law firm Anderson Strathern, is a litigator by background – although he said he regards himself as a "dispute resolver rather than a civil litigator".

Carr said: "For me it is very important to articulate that collaborative approach and not take one of confrontation. There is a great deal of consensus. In Edinburgh we see an acceptance on the part of public sector generally that these issues need to be addressed," he added.

It was also announced that several members of the Edinburgh Chamber board had resigned or retired this year, including Roy Durie, director of estate agent Ryden; Laura Gordon, ex-head of the Glasgow-Edinburgh collaboration; Michael Johnston, managing director of The Scotsman Publications; Ben Reed, director of estate agent Jones Lang Lasalle; and Nora Senior, managing director of PR firm Weber Shandwick.

Members of the board who were newly appointed included Donald Kerr, head of commercial banking at Bank of Scotland; Ewan Thompson of First Scottish Group; and Jack Munro, of the Edinburgh Hotels Association.