Young People and the Future of Scotland: young person's guide to the findings

What happens next?

The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be a place where young people’s voices help shape policies and plans. The report gives some ideas about how the Scottish Government could do this:

• The ideas young people shared hint at what might be needed but we need more young people to share their thoughts. Future projects should involve different groups of young people over a longer period to hear more voices.
• Young people said the workshop made them feel empowered to think about the future and to share their ideas. They hope this becomes more common in other areas of the Scottish Government’s work.
• Young people are thinking about big issues but find it difficult to imagine how these will play out in the future. Future discussions could stretch beyond 2040, to help them imagine futures outside of today’s challenges.
• The workshop shows that involving young people can help ensure that future decisions meet real needs. However, there’s still a gap between sharing ideas and making actual changes in government decisions.