TEACHING school leavers in Inverclyde to rise early and get themselves to work on time should be the top priority for council chiefs according to a local councillor.

Councillor David Wilson offered his advice during a debate on how best to help young people take advantage of the future job prospects at Ferguson Marine.

Tycoon Jim McColl who took over the shipyard has promised to create hundreds of new jobs and Ferguson Marine recently secured a new £97 million pound ferry contract. Education chiefs are working with the college and the development trust to ensure that young people can benefit from future jobs created.

Councillor Wilson, who’s also Depute Provost, said: “I think they need to know that apprentices to to get up on time and be at work for 8am and they need to commit to college.

“They need to be ready to work.

“We are going to see Ferguson’s building two large ships built in Port Glasgow in the next few years and we need to produce the apprentices.”

Inverclyde Council has announced plans for schools to work closely with local employers and West College Scotland in order to fund on-the-job training.

Senior pupils studying vocational engineering courses at college will get the chance of work placements with employers like Ferguson Marine and Babcocks in the summer.

On top of that there is also an increased range of vocational subjects available.

The Scottish Government gave the council £163,522 to help develop the young workforce.

Recent figures showed that youth unemployment in Inverclyde has fallen considerably in the last year.