Support for employers

3rd June 2014

Report on Scotland's young workforce due to be published.

Small businesses should receive greater support to encourage them to invest in the future of Scotland’s young people, a report to be published next week will recommend.

The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, chaired by Sir Ian Wood, has spent the last 18 months looking at how Scotland’s system of vocational education could be significantly enhanced.

The report, to be published on Tuesday 3 June 2014, is expected to recommend that industry-led groups work on a local and regional basis to encourage greater collaboration between industry and education and to encourage recruitment and training of more young people.

A significant number of recommendations will also include a package of support for small businesses to take on Modern Apprentices.

The Scottish Government will respond formally to the report in the coming weeks, with £12 million budget consequentials already set aside for youth employment.

Cabinet Secretary for Training, Women’s and Youth Employment Angela Constance said:"We have ambitions to see significant improvements in our youth employment numbers which will have benefits for the wider economy with more young people in jobs. The £12 million we announced earlier this will help accelerate progress, and we will discuss with our partners in local government how best that is deployed.

“A substantial amount of activity is in place, including our very successful Modern Apprenticeship programme, which has seen over 77,000 new opportunities in the last three years. This must be part of a world class system of vocational education that truly makes the connections between education and employment that our young people need to succeed.

“In its interim report, the Commission for the Development of Scotland’s Young Workforce started to map out the blueprint for improvement and its final report is due shortly. I expect it to have a focus on how businesses, schools and colleges could engage better to identify the opportunities and infrastructure needed to get more school leavers into work.

“We want to help Scotland’s employers to play a full and active role in supporting young people towards sustainable employment and will work in partnership with COSLA and with other partners in the public, private and third sectors on the best way forward.

“I look forward to receiving the report and will respond in due course."