Give kids advice… not hypnosis

I was absolutely astounded to read on Friday that TV hypnotist Paul McKenna was paid £20,000 to give a motivational talk to unemployed Scottish teenagers.

The self-help speech was delivered to 200 jobless youngsters at Hampden Park last Friday during a Get Ready For Work event delivered by Skills Development Scotland.

The gross abuse of taxpayers’ cash was rightly slammed by Scots Labour leader Iain Gray.

These youngsters don’t need to be hypnotised or taught how to develop instant confidence – they need practical advice on how to find a job.

Valuable tips on how to develop their CV and how to present themselves for an interview – not a life-coaching session from an overpaid celebrity who authored a book called I Can Make You Thin.

McKenna’s £20,000 fee could have been invested in a literacy or skills workshop, a CV-building course or supporting youth innovation projects.

It’s enough money to fund 20 apprenticeships – that’s 10 per cent of the audience who could have been given the opportunity to learn a skilled trade or profession.

I worked closely with the BBC on a special youth jobs panel where I met British youngsters to discuss their options and aspirations in the current jobs climate.

The event had a panel of experts who dedicated time to youngsters to help with their confidence, their CV, interview techniques and how to stand out from the crowd.

That practical and constructive help can make a big impact and is more beneficial and cheaper than a celebrity appearance.

For years I have given my time to advise young people and answer their concerns about employment.

As well as taking part in the BBC youth jobs panel, I have also recently judged the JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur Awards in Edinburgh and continue to develop close ties with the University of Strathclyde and Napier University.

I am just one of many innovative Scottish business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics who aren’t in it for the appearance fee, but simply want to help young people get ahead in life.

If Skills Development Scotland had asked me to do it, I’d have done it for free, no question.

Mentoring and supporting youth innovation is a big part of what I do and it would have been a pleasure to help these youngsters get into work.

I’d have also brought a number of industry leaders along with me to offer a real cross-section of experience and advice.

We would have spent the best part of the day with the teenagers and wouldn’t have charged a penny.

Instead, Skills Development Scotland paid the equivalent of an average year’s salary for a TV hypnotist to help our youngsters find a job.

Read that statement back to yourself – it’s ridiculous.

So the next time any government body decides to throw money at a celebrity speaker, I urge them to look closer to home.

We have so many business bosses with way more experience, keen to help our young people find jobs amidst what our Chancellor Alistair Darling infamously described as the worst recession in 60 years.

SDS got this badly wrong and only succeeded in sending the wrong message to our youth.

But hey, at least everyone in the audience got a signed copy of McKenna’s book, Instant Confidence.