Minister for Higher and Further Education

Responsibilities

Supports the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

Specific responsibilities are:

• adult learning
• apprenticeships
• Community Learning and Development (CLD)
• Developing the Young Workforce
• further education and colleges
• higher education and universities
• international education strategy and a Scottish programme of exchange
• non-advanced vocational skills
• qualifications and accreditation
• science and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
• Scottish Funding Council (SFC)
• Skills Development Scotland
• student support
• widening access
• Young Person’s Guarantee
• youth employment
• youth work

Biography

Ben grew up in Edinburgh before studying a BA Honours degree in Philosophy and Politics at the University of York. After graduating he returned to Edinburgh and worked in a number of different roles before going on to complete a postgraduate LLB and a Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh. He then qualified as a solicitor and practised as a lawyer with one of Scotland’s large commercial firms. As well as his legal training, Ben has worked in financial services, for an NGO, in renewable energy, in a school and in hospitality.

Ben was elected in 2016 as the MSP for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency, where he lives.

His previous ministerial roles between 2018 and 2023 included the portfolios of:

• Europe, migration and international development
• public finance and migration
• rural affairs and the natural environment
• social security and local government

Beyond working and campaigning, Ben likes running, football and watching films and documentaries.

Read more about Ben Macpherson on the Scottish Parliament website.