Delivering the Youth Guarantee

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has set out more details of how Scotland’s Youth Guarantee will give young people the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guarantee will ensure everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training. The Scottish Government is funding it with £60 million which will be broken down as follows:

• £30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
• £10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
• £10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
• £10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships

Sandy Begbie, who led the Developing the Young Workforce Group that played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee to young people, was asked to write an implementation plan which has been published today. The report’s recommendations include:

• early work to identify youth employment opportunities with employers in some of the least-impacted sectors, including financial services, utilities and life sciences
• working to introduce an incentive model where government pays 50% of wages for young people who need the most help
• a call for the public sector to create more opportunities for young people
• a call for businesses who would not normally have taken an apprentice full-time to consider sharing an apprentice with other employers
• providing support to encourage SMEs to take on a young person if they are able to do so

Ms Hyslop said:

“I would like to thank Sandy Begbie for the significant work he has put into developing this proposal in such a short period of time. He has engaged widely and set out ambitious recommendations for which I am grateful, and I look forward to working with him to implement them.

“The guarantee will be crucial to improving the opportunities of young people in light of the pandemic, and I was delighted to be able to speak to some of them earlier today about how the Edinburgh Guarantee has benefitted them.

“The scale of this task will be significant, and that is why we have set ourselves the challenge of this ambitious guarantee. I would urge all employers who are able, to work with us to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy. Progress will only be possible through collaboration and a collective determination to succeed. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has become one of the early adopters of the Youth Guarantee.

“My message to Scotland’s young people is simple: we are right behind you, we want you to be successful and we will do everything we can to give you the opportunities you need.”

Mr Begbie said:

“While very ambitious, in many ways this guarantee is quite simple. It is an unconditional commitment to all our 16-24 year olds, whose lives and prospects could be irreparably damaged by COVID-19. It is a guarantee of education, an apprenticeship, training, employment, volunteering or supported activity.  Keeping young people connected in a way they feel valued and productive is at the heart of this guarantee.

“To deliver this we need a call to action across the private, public, third and education sectors with everyone doing all they can to create opportunities for our young people.  

“The guarantee, if delivered effectively, will also go a long way to help address the inequalities we know exist, and every young person regardless of background will have the same opportunity.”

Background:

Young Person Guarantee. No-one left behind: initial report. 

The Youth Guarantee states: “We will guarantee to every young person aged between 16 and 24 in Scotland the opportunity, based on their own personal circumstances and ambitions, of going to university or college, an apprenticeship programme, training, fair employment including work experience, or participating in a formal volunteering programme.”