The job prospects of young Scots could be most damaged by the economic fall-out of the coronavirus pandemic, MSPs have been told.
Former banking chief Benny Higgins, a member of the Scottish Government's Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, said he was concerned by the prospects of younger people trying to get a foothold in the labour market as the economy struggles in the wake of lockdown.
Appearing at Holyrood's economy committee today, he said: "We have to look specifically and make provision for the generation that could be really hurt by this and scarred in the long run.
“I would suggest that one group is the late teenagers into their mid-twenties, coming out of secondary education.
"It's a very different world than they would have thought only a matter of months ago."
Asked about the challenges facing younger Scots at her daily media briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said: "The challenges this virus has created for us, in both a health sense and an economic sense, are significant.
"There is no getting away from that. It will take an enormous effort to overcome in the months ahead.
"It is our duty to allow people to overcome these challenges - and that's particularly true of young people who have missed out on school education and those who are going into the labour market."
Speaking at the same event, economy secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "We anticipate that young people and women will suffer most in the jobs market because of the impact of Covid-19.
"That means we have to take special responsibility for these groups of people. We will set out, working with the economic advisory group, the charting of the future of Scotland's economy.
"It must involve more digitalisation and also a green recovery. There are jobs and opportunities for young people there. The skills and the training for those new industries are going to be vital.
"That responsibility is not just on government, it's on companies as well."
