Employer Skills Survey 2024 - Scotland

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW)

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is the Scottish Government’s overarching approach to preparing young people for the world of work. In addition to school based careers and work related learning, DYW aims to provide more young people with a labour market-relevant range of work-based learning opportunities such as Foundation Apprenticeships, vocational qualifications, and a broader range of post-education employment opportunities. This work is supported by the partnerships between local industry and employers, and education providers, through the twenty-one employer-led DYW Regional Groups that were established by the Scottish Government in 2014, working with DYW coordinators in each mainstream secondary school.

Work placements at school

Overall, 15% of employers in Scotland reported providing work placements for young people at school over the last 12 months. This represents an increase from 2022 (10%) and 2021 (8%) but remains below 2019 levels (20%). As in 2022, smaller sites were less likely to offer work placements to school students in 2024 – 9% of sites with 2 to 4 employees reported providing these, compared with over half (52%) of those with 100 or more employees and 32% of those with 50 to 99 employees. Local and central government funded employers were most likely to provide this kind of placement (33% compared with 20% of charity or voluntary sector employers and 13% of private sector employers).

In terms of sector, employers in the Education (40%) and Arts and Other Services (22%) sectors were more likely to provide placements for school students, while Wholesale and Retail employers were less likely (10%). By ROA region, those in the Borders (31%) and Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (20%) were most likely to have provided placements to school students.

Where employers provided placements for young people in school, the average number of school students taken on was 2 per site, in line with 2022. Around half (52%) took on 1 school student on a placement and a further one in five (22%) took on 2 school students.

Among the employers who offered placements to school students, 14% went on to recruit anyone who had been on such placements into a permanent or long-term paid role, either at the end of the placement or after they finished their studies. This was also in line with the 2022 proportion (21%).

Work inspiration activities

Just under one in six (14%) employers in Scotland reported engaging with educational institutions to provide work inspiration activities in the last 12 months. Work inspiration activities include providing career talks to students, hosting site visits or conducting activities such as mock interviews. The proportion offering these activities increased from 2022 (11%) and represents a return to 2019 levels (15%).

As with work placements, larger employers were more likely to provide work inspiration activities, as shown in Figure 9. For example 55% of sites with 100 or more employees reported offering these activities compared with just 9% of those with 2 to 4 employees.

Work inspiration activities were more common among larger employers.

Figure 9: Proportion of employers offering work inspiration activities, by site size in 2024.

Base: All sites in Scotland (Module B): Total (1,287); 2 to 4 (300); 5 to 24 (648); 25 to 49 (188); 50 to 99 (94); 100 or more (57).

As in 2022, employers in the Education (34%) and Health and Social Work (24%) sectors were most likely to have engaged with educational institutions to offer work inspiration activities. Similarly, local and central government funded employers were also more likely to offer such activities (32%) compared with 20% of charity or voluntary sector employers and 13% of private sector employers.

By ROA region, the Highlands and Islands (23%), Borders and West Lothian (both 18%) were most likely to have offered work inspiration activities.

DYW Regional Groups

Just under a quarter (23%) of employers in Scotland were aware of their local DYW Regional Group and 5% had engaged with them in the last 12 months. This is a decrease from 2022 (27% aware, 7% having engaged) although the proportion remains higher than 2021 levels (15% aware, 2% engaged).

Larger employers were more likely to have heard of and engaged with DYW Regional Groups.

Figure 10: Proportion of employers aware of, and that have engaged with DYW Regional Groups, by site size in 2024.

Base: All sites in Scotland (Module C): Total (1,220); 2 to 4 (346); 5 to 24 (552); 25 to 49 (189); 50 to 99 (79); 100 or more (54).

As shown in Figure 10, larger employers were more likely to both be aware of and have engaged with the DYW Regional Groups – for example, 50% of sites with 100 or more employees were aware and 28% had engaged with the DYW Regional Groups, compared with 19% and 2% respectively for sites with 2 to 4 employees.

Employers in the Education sector were most likely to be aware of and have engaged with the DYW Regional Groups (54% and 32% respectively). Health and Social Work employers were also more likely to be aware (31%), although there was no difference in engagement for employers in this sector.