A LEADING businessman has criticised the lack of government support for apprenticeships, claiming it could undermine plans to set up new vocational skills academies.

Gerard Eadie, vicechairman of the Prince's Trust in Scotland, said most businesses did not take young people on under the modern apprenticeship scheme as they did not consider it worth the risk.

Unless money was provided to employers who take on trainees, the low take-up could threaten Jack McConnell's plans to create 100 skills academies as there would not be enough jobs for graduates to go to.

Under the modern apprenticeship scheme, started in 1995 to encourage more young people to learn a trade, employers pay the wages of their trainees for four years.

Mr Eadie, who is also the chairman of CR Smith, one of Scotland's biggest doubleglazing firms, pointed to the 40per cent drop-out rate in the scheme and the cost to employers of taking on inexperienced staff.

He said: "The skills academies are indeed a welcome development, which could provide the basis for a career or indeed further education.

"Having said this, with the prospect of a new generation of graduates from the skills academies, the government must also commit adequate investment and resources."

An executive spokesman welcomed input from businessmen but said government subsidy was not the way forward.