Skills Development Scotland has launched a pound;13.1 million programme to help colleges make young people more employable.

All colleges, provided they can demonstrate how they would use the money, should have access to a “baseline” portion of the funding under the College Learning Programme.

They will also be able to bid for an additional tranche if they can demonstrate their programmes offer employability skills, vocational training and work experience - especially for the government’s target student group of 16- to 19-year-olds.

“This funding is a welcome additional resource which will help colleges to deliver even more opportunities for this priority group. We look forward to seeing this initiative progress,” said John Spencer, convener of the principals’ convention of Scotland’s Colleges.

Privately, some principals expressed concerns that the scheme would involve an administrative burden and that it was skewed in favour of some institutions.