Developing the young workforce: guidance for school/employer partnerships, regional groups and local authorities

Annex A

Background Information

The Commission for Developing Scotland Young Workforce report published in June 2014 set our their aims for greater employer engagement in education to the mutual benefit of schools, employers, the economy and most importantly the young people who will be the future workforce.

The Commission made a number of recommendations designed to encourage and support greater employer engagement with education and youth employment. The Commission recommended that 'Businesses across Scotland should be encouraged and supported to enter into 3-5 years partnerships with secondary schools. Every secondary school in Scotland and its feeder primaries should be supported by at least one business in a long-term partnership.'

In December 2014, the Scottish Government published Developing the Young Workforce - Scotland's Youth Employment Strategy, together with implementation plans agreed with local government. This set out a target of reducing youth unemployment by 40% by 2021 through introducing key measures such as:

• increased uptake of work-related learning from 3-18, including vocational qualifications and opportunities for example in Foundation Apprenticeships in the senior phase
• earlier careers guidance available from 2015/16
• new standard for work experience by 2015/16
• new 'pre-apprenticeship' pilot to help those furthest from the labour market by 2015/16
• all secondary schools to have active partnerships with employers by 2018/19
• all secondary schools to have active partnerships with regional colleges by 2018/19.

The Strategy also stated that guidance would be made available to provide further information on the development of effective school/employer partnerships.

Support materials and examples of successful school/employer partnerships will be shared on the Education website: www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/thecurriculum/dyw/. In particular, there is a new Standard for Work Placements and a Standard for Career Education (3-18).

Further information on Developing the Young Workforce can be viewed on the Scottish Government's website.

Background at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/edandtrainingforyoungple/ScottishGovernmentResponse

Blog at http://blogs.scotland.gov.uk/developing-the-young-workforce/