RUSHES: Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon press conference May 20th

Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon press conference May 20th; SCOTLAND: Edinburgh:INTNicola Sturgeon MSP (First Minister) press conference opening statement SOT part 2 of 3.- In doing so, it will ensure that our actions, now, are helping to equip people with the skills they need for the future. It will report back to us in June on what additional measures we need to take.However I can confirm today that we will be investing a further 33 million pounds to support people back to work as we gradually get the economy opened up again.This initial funding – most of which will be allocated to Fair Start Scotland, our devolved employability service - will have a particular focus on helping those most adversely affected in times of economic downturn - which are young people, disabled people and lone parents.Today’s announcement is one further action amongst many in our efforts to tackle the economic impacts of this crisis, but it is, I think, an important one.We know all too well from previous recessions that the longer people stay jobless, the greater the chance of further impacts – their skills can deteriorate, their confidence can fall, and that in turn can have an impact on future prospects. We also know that these effects are of course bad for individuals – especially young people – and that they are also damaging for the economy as a whole. And that means that when an upturn comes, when the economy starts to recover, employers can find it more difficult to hire the people they need. For all of these reasons, we are determined to do everything we can to protect Scotland’s workforce; to minimise – as far as we can - the increase in unemployment; and to ensure that we are ready for a sustainable recovery. Today’s actions represent a further step in helping us to do that.The second issue I want to talk about relates to the fact that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is kindness.In many ways that’s especially ...