Scottish Labour has accused the Holyrood government of overseeing a ten-year decline in apprenticeships in a key sector.

Since 2014 the number has fallen 60% from 3,279 to just 1,319, and a 45% fall compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019/20.

Hospitality employs 229,000 people in Scotland and contributes £6.7 billion to the economy.

However, the Fraser of Allander has warned that this “vitally important industry … is suffering from large skills gaps”, and noted that this is linked to high vacancy rates and low pay in the industry.

Labour’s economy spokesman Daniel Johnson said: “Hospitality and tourism have been forgotten by the SNP and their huge potential is being wasted.”

SNP MSP David Torrance said: “Daniel Johnson’s Labour Party’s continued failure to address the elephant in the room which is Brexit is the single biggest factor affecting Scotland’s hospitality and tourism sector.”

The Liberal Democrats chimed in on the debate by calling on the UK Government to make the hospitality sector exempt from the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions being introduced in April. The say the hike will cost the Scottish sector £369m over five years.

Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Restaurants, pubs and hotels across Scotland are warning that the UK Government’s national insurance hike risks many of them going to the wall, but the Chancellor just doesn’t seem to be listening.”

The Liberal Democrats are also calling on the UK Government to negotiate a Youth Mobility Visa scheme with the EU so that businesses can recruit the workers they need to fill vacancies.

The SNP, meanwhile, has challenged Scotland’s Labour MPs to break from the “right-wing Westminster consensus on migration” and instead support businesses and the NHS by backing a Scottish visa.  

The call comes as the second reading of the UK government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will be debated in Westminster today.

Labour leader Anas Sarwar and deputy Jackie Baillie previously signalled that a Labour Government would be open to talks on the visa. However, the UK Government has given no indication that such a scheme will be introduced.

The SNP’s depute Westminster leader Pete Wishart said: “All over the industrialised world nations are facing population stagnation and decline and we need to start preparing for the impacts this will have on our public services and economy.

“A Scottish Visa will allow us to tackle the Brexit-born staff shortages that have inflicted pain and hardship upon our NHS and Scottish businesses. 

“We stand ready to work with the Labour Government to make this happen and the onus is now on them to step up to the plate, but if they refuse then it’s only right that Holyrood is given the power to take action and introduce a unique Scottish visa.”