Fairer and integrated employability

Scotland’s first fully devolved employment service will start delivering flexible and tailored support from Tuesday 3 April.

Fair Start Scotland will offer personalised support for at least 38,000 people further removed from the labour market.

Ahead of the launch, the Scottish Government set out the next steps towards delivering more effective and joined-up employability support across Scotland.

‘No One Left Behind – Next Steps for the Integration and Alignment of Employability Support in Scotland’ outlines measures to join up employability support across Scotland, including working with the Scottish Prison Service to develop new routes into employment, and piloting a Single Health and Work Gateway in Fife and Dundee.

Speaking at a visit to Capital City Partnership’s Joined Up for Jobs Integration Project, Employability Minister Jamie Hepburn said:

“The launch of Fair Start Scotland is a landmark moment in our journey to deliver a person-centred employment service.

“Our new powers have created a service that is more flexible and responsive to a changing labour market; one that will tackle inequalities and grow Scotland’s economy by helping more people into work. It is also fairer - the fact the service is voluntary means people are not driven to take part through fear of sanctions.

“We are aware that this is only the start - our clear focus on joining up employability with health, justice and housing, ensures a solid platform on which we will build in the future.”