Rebuilding the economy
Investing in jobs and skills.
Supporting people into employment and equipping them with skills they need will be at the heart of the economic recovery, backed with £1.1 billion of investment under the proposed Scottish Budget 2021-22.
Additional investment of £125 million will go towards the Young Person’s Guarantee, the National Transition Training Fund and other initiatives ensuring the future workforce has the skills needed for a green recovery and supporting those at risk of long term unemployment. This includes personalised employment support and retraining for those who have been made unemployed or are at risk of redundancy due to the pandemic.
Since November the Young Person’s Guarantee has provided funding for around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work.
Other funding for 2021-22 includes:
- £230 million for Skills Development Scotland to deliver training
- £100 million Green Jobs Fund to be delivered over the next Parliament
- £27 million for national employability service Fair Start Scotland
- £21 million towards Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships
- £5 million for Community Jobs Scotland to create job opportunities for unemployed people aged 16 to 29
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:
“The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted economies throughout the world and while Scotland’s economy has performed slightly better than the UK as a whole, the necessary restrictions to suppress the virus are continuing to impact economic activity.
“As well as providing emergency support to businesses to help them through this crisis, it is vital that we plan for the future. By providing our workforce with the support, skills and experience needed to drive a green economic recovery, we will ensure that our investment in a just transition protects and creates jobs.
“The Young Person Guarantee has to go hand in hand with economic recovery in Scotland. During this crisis we have taken action to support our young people who have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. This funding allows us to build on that success and meet additional demand.
“It also provides opportunities for those already in employment to upskill or retrain and supporting those who are further from the labour market in partnership with local authorities, third and private sectors to ensure no one is left behind.
“Underpinning everything will be our commitment to working in partnership with employers to invest in workforce development, create diverse and inclusive workplaces and pay people fairly for the work they do.”
Background
The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to give every young person the opportunity to study, take up an apprenticeship, a job or work experience or participate in formal volunteering within the next two years. £60 million was allocated to support the Young Person’s Guarantee in 2020/21.
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