Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) School Coordinators: equality impact assessment

Describing how Equality Impact analysis has shaped the policy making process

A number of impact assessments are being/have been completed for the Young Person’s Guarantee, including an EQIA to ensure that we are considering equality. As part of this, the activity plan (which includes the action of DYW School Coordinators) and EQIA evidence has been reviewed by the Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Group. Members of this group include equality specialists such as Intercultural Youth Scotland and Close the Gap who were able to contribute. An equalities sub group will also be arranged, which will involve DYW leads who are responsible for the DYW School Coordinators.

As previously mentioned, the introduction of DYW School Coordinators has been a long term ask of the DYW Employers Forum. As such, we engaged with the Employers Forum as well as DYW Leads to ensure that any concerns were raised and could be dealt with accordingly.

As part of the bid for DYW School Coordinators, the DYW Regional groups had to show evidence of how equal opportunities will be applied throughout the recruitment process and employment of the Coordinators. This recognises the challenges that many individuals face when applying for a job - as referenced in the evidence - and also ensures that the Scottish Government and DYW Groups (where appropriate) meet the Public Sector Equality Duty.

To promote equality and align with the Young Person’s Guarantee, we have articulated 4 overarching policy ambitions that the additional investment for the DYW School Coordinators should fulfil. The four policy ambitions are:

• Supporting those furthest away from the labour market
• Embodying “No Wrong Door” approach
• Enhancing capacity within core DYW Regional Groups
• Enable integration of Young Person’s Guarantee

In addition to these ambitions, 4 core KPI’s have been created that a number of DYW leads were able to feed into. These KPI’s require both DYW Regional Lead and School Coordinator input. The DYW School Coordinators are particularly responsible for delivering and reporting on a section of KPI 1 directly to the regional DYW Lead and to the school and local authority Senior Management Team. The 4 KPI’s, one of which centres around equalities, are:

KPI 1 – DYW Regional Groups and School Coordinator - Employer Engagement and Local Partnerships

DYW Regional Groups, including School Coordinators, to increase employer engagement opportunities, and the number of employers actively engaged in supporting and preparing young people for the world of work. In addition, by working with all those engaged in careers, employment and DYW in the school, devise a local partnership agreement and local working arrangement that embodies “No Wrong Door” to ensure that young people have seamless access to individual support, advice, guidance and engagement with employers.

KPI 2

DYW Regional Groups to support employers with the completion of the Young Person’s Guarantee 5 Asks of Employers proforma.

KPI 3 – DYW Regional Groups – Apprenticeships and other Government Initiatives

In collaboration with Skills Development Scotland (and other learning providers) increase the number of employers offering job and apprenticeship opportunities to young people.

KPI 4 – DYW Regional Groups and School Coordinators – Equalities

By working collaboratively with specialist partners, increase work-based learning and employer engagement opportunities for those who would benefit most.

Working with school staff, SDS advisors, CLD and other specialist services / partners to identify and support young people who would most benefit from increased work-based learning opportunities and employer engagement.

Your approach should reflect the school’s particular demography and local labour market. Areas you may wish to consider are:

• support for young people at risk of a non-positive destination;
• addressing gender imbalance in certain work sectors - particularly STEM and growth sectors;
• improving employment outcomes for disabled young people;
• addressing challenges for young people from minority ethnic backgrounds; and
• supporting the aspirations of young people from lowest 20% of SIMD areas.

By taking an evidence-based approach and targeting interventions to support these young people, this additional investment and resource can support and assist their transition into the labour market.

[Ref DYW Glasgow – The Impact of Employer Engagement with Schools.]

One significant change to the policy that was made to ensure equality was around support for ASN schools. DYW School Coordinators will not be available to ASN schools whose majority destination is not in the labour market. However, the Scottish Government recognises the barriers that individuals with disabilities face and have therefore asked Enable to create a programme, detailed below, to support the ASN schools who will not have a dedicated Coordinator. Officials worked with the disability team and will continue to do so to ensure we are providing appropriate support for disabled young people.

Enable are providing a pilot programme that will tailor support to young disabled people and provides them with focused and tailored career advice and work experience opportunities to help them to develop and realise their potential. The Stepping Up Project will contribute to the Young Person’s Guarantee by connecting disabled young people to fair work, education and productive activities designed to ensure a successful transition into adult life and work.

Stepping Up comprises of a 3-stage model and will engage 1152 young people on the programme aged 14-19. Enable’s proposal has required the Scottish Government to adapt the budget in order to provide this support.

Stage 1 focuses on ‘Life after School’ including interactive workshops to develop soft skills, resilience and develop aspirations, combined with school-based learning events. Stage 2 is ‘Make the Move’, where each young person is assigned a dedicated Employment Coordinator who will offer personalised support and interventions to support a successful transition from school. Further training activities could include independent travel, employability skills and exploring options like employment, apprenticeships and further or higher education. Stage 3 is the aftercare service that ensures young people sustain their position destination and supports employers to make the process successful for all involved.

This is currently a pilot however the Scottish Government will consider adapting this wider, where appropriate and possible.

In addition, we are currently working with policy leads in Race Employment, Disability Employment and Gender Employment policy to develop a suite of training to support DYW School Coordinators which will address challenges for young disabled people. To align with the Young Person’s Guarantee and the Young Person’s Voice, we will look to involve young disabled people into this training, in order to hear their own perspectives and experiences. We will also look to include a section on gender inequality.

When speaking to equality groups, we are also aware that many people who have protected characteristics are keen to see those in support positions having diverse and lived experience. To help address this point, we will work with Intercultural Youth Scotland to develop an evidence base for a pilot to recruit additional Coordinators who can relate to young people from minority ethnic and racial backgrounds people.

Intercultural Youth Scotland will also be working with DYW Groups to develop work to support young Black people and young people of colour to access available opportunities.