Creating a Fairer Scotland: A New Future for Employability Support in Scotland

Introduction

From 1 April 2017, employment support services in Scotland will change. New powers to provide employment support for disabled people and those at risk of long-term unemployment will be devolved to Scotland. This means the current Work Programme and Work Choice schemes run by the UK Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) will be replaced by Scottish services to provide support, work experience and training to help Scotland's people find work, and stay in work.

At the UK Government's Spending Review in November 2015, the announcement was made that Work Choice and the Work Programme will end across the UK in April 2017 and be replaced by a single programme, the Work and Health Programme, details of which are still emerging.

Scotland's Economic Strategy set out this Government's view that building a more competitive economy and a fairer society go hand in hand. Employability services, which are vital in improving economic opportunities for those out of work, can make an important contribution to this agenda.

Last year, we consulted extensively to inform the development of Scotland's employability services. Following careful and independent analysis of the responses received, ^[1] this document sets out the key principles and values of the Scottish Approach to employability which will underpin devolved employability services in Scotland from 1 April 2017.

This is not the end of the conversation, however. As we redesign and implement new employability support services we retain a strong commitment to do so in a collaborative fashion, committed to continuous improvement with our partners and stakeholders.