Scotland’s Devolved Employment Services

This experimental statistics release is the fifth in a series about the devolved Scottish employability services. This fifth edition publishes statistics for the first six months of Fair Start Scotland, which launched in April 2018, and the first eighteen months of Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland, which both launched in April 2017.

New statistics reporting on Fair Start Scotland are included for the first time. Numbers of people referred to (‘referrals’) and subsequently joining the service (‘starts’) is presented, along with demographic information for starts.

Information on employment outcomes (‘job outcomes’) for Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland participants is included for the second time in the series, as are figures on those entering employment (‘job starts’) and those leaving the services early (‘early leavers’). Information on referrals and starts to the services, as published previously, is also included.

Key findings      

Fair Start Scotland referrals and starts

A total of 4,978 people joined Fair Start Scotland during the period 3 April to 28 September 2018.

Of the 9,789 people who were referred to the service during the same period, 5,140 (53%) subsequently chose to participate.

Transitional services employment outcomes

Work First Scotland

As at 28 September 2018, 18 months after the service was launched:

• 1,692 participants had entered employment (achieved a ‘job start’)
• 1,133 participants had entered employment which lasted at least 13 weeks (achieved a ‘short job outcome’)
• 795 participants had entered employment which lasted at least 26 weeks (achieved a ‘sustained job outcome’) 

Work Able Scotland

As at 28 September 2018, 18 months after the service was launched:

• 162 participants had entered employment (achieved a ‘job start’)
• 125 participants had entered employment which lasted at least 6 weeks (achieved a ‘short job outcome’)
• 47 participants had entered employment which lasted at least 26 weeks (achieved a ‘sustained job outcome’)