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Package of support announced for school leavers in Scotland |
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Package includes 1,000 volunteering opportunities and 750 graduate placements over the next three years.
Skills Minister Keith Brown has announced a package of support for young people in Scotland leaving school or college this summer.
It includes 800 vocational pathway opportunities for 16 and 17 year olds, a £1,000 incentive for up to 2,000 employers to offer a modern apprenticeship to young people who face specific barriers to securing such an opportunity including care leavers and 1,000 volunteering opportunities.
Also, a new national helpline to support those employers who can offer a young person a job, a modern apprenticeship, or a work experience opportunity, 60 entrepreneurial training opportunities, 750 graduate placements over the next three years and access to additional 5,000 all age modern apprenticeships.
Approximately 3,000 extra young people are expected to be entering the job market for the first time and the measures will ensure they all have the support they need, for as long as they need it, to move into long-term sustainable employment.
The announcement follows work over the past three months by the Summer Leavers Taskforce, led by the Scottish Government in partnership with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council, which worked with businesses, councils and the voluntary sector to establish what was needed to help these young people.
Mr Brown said: "The Scottish Government cannot create jobs but we can create the right business conditions and provide support business to create jobs. The measures we have introduced will extend this support and aim to motivate employers to offer young people an opportunity while Skills Development Scotland is signposting young people to help and advice."
"There is consensus that reducing youth unemployment must be one of Scotland's top priorities."
Further information:
The Scottish Government |
