Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, marked the end of Scottish Apprenticeship Week by meeting apprentices at the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the city centre.
Based on Bothwell Street, SLC has a growing Emerging Talent Programme with over 100 colleagues currently on its apprenticeship, graduate and internship programmes.
Kaukab Stewart said: “I welcome the innovative work of the SLC Emerging Talent Programme, supporting young and older people to train and developing skills for the wider digital economy.
“I’m particularly pleased to learn about the Career Ready Mentoring Programme and the recognition that people with particular barriers in the labour market are being supported the most in building more equal and diverse opportunities.”
During the visit, Kaukab was also given a tour of SLC’s new collaboration spaces and Stephen Campbell, SLC’s Chief Information Officer, talked about the importance of developing the skills of the workforce and investing in their futures.
He said: “Our apprentices play such an important role in our business. We offer young people the chance to unlock their potential and gain a recognised qualification, as well as valuable experience in the work environment.
“But we also believe it’s vital to develop the skills of our workforce, encouraging their career growth by providing them with the opportunity to upskill. It was fantastic to welcome Kaukab Stewart into our office today during such an important week for apprenticeships in Scotland.”
The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships in Scotland and Scottish Apprenticeship Week, co-ordinated by Skills Develop Scotland, highlights how apprenticeships are providing the skills employers need now and for the future.
In Edinburgh, men are paid 14.2% more than women – well above the Scottish average gender pay gap of 10.2%
East Dunbartonshire has the biggest gender pay gap in Scotland, with men being paid 26.9% more than women
Aberdeenshire is Scotland’s second worst area for gender pay gaps, with men enjoying 22.1% more pay than women
Edinburgh’s gender pay gap is well above the Scottish average, new research can reveal.
In Edinburgh, men are paid 14.2% more than women. The Scotland average gender pay gap is 10.2%
Following International Women’s Day, financial experts Forbes Advisor used new ONS data to explore the gender pay gap for full time employees in every local authority in Scotland to discover which areas have the worst gender pay gap of all.
RANKED: Gender pay gaps in Scotland from biggest to smallest
Scotland area
Rank
How much more men earn than women (%)
East Dunbartonshire
1
26.9
Aberdeenshire
2
22.1
Inverclyde
3
20.1
Renfrewshire
4
18.6
Aberdeen City
5
17.9
Moray
6
17.1
Perth and Kinross
7
16.9
Na h-Eileanan Siar
8
15.8
South Ayrshire
9
15.5
Clackmannanshire
10
15.0
City of Edinburgh
11
14.2
Argyll and Bute
12
13.6
East Lothian
13
13.6
Dundee City
14
11.6
Falkirk
15
11.0
Glasgow City
16
10.7
North Lanarkshire
17
8.8
East Ayrshire
18
7.7
Midlothian
19
4.9
Fife
20
3.4
South Lanarkshire
21
3.3
West Lothian
22
3.1
Scottish Borders
23
2.3
Angus
24
2.2
Stirling
25
1.6
Highland
26
0.9
North Ayrshire
27
-4.6
Dumfries and Galloway
28
-7.0
Scotland average
10.2
East Dunbartonshire has the biggest gender pay gap in Scotland. In East Dunbartonshire, men are paid 26.9% more than women – well over double Scotland’s average gender pay gap (10.2%).
Aberdeenshire has the second biggest pay gap in Scotland, with men earning 22.1% more than women – twice the Scottish average gender pay gap of 10.2%. Inverclyde has Scotland’s third biggest pay gap, with men raking in 20% more in wages than women.
Renfrewshire, Aberdeen City and Moray are also some of Scotland’s worst areas for gender pay gaps, with men earning 18.6%, 17.9% and 17.1% more than women respectively.
At the other end of the scale, Dumfries and Galloway and North Ayrshire in Scotland are the only areas in the country where women earn more than men. In Dumfries and Galloway, women earn 7% more than men, and in North Ayrshire, women earn 4.6% more than men.
The Scottish Highlands, Stirling and Angus also have smaller gender pay gaps than the rest of Scotland. In the Scottish Highlands, men earn 0.9% more than women, and in Stirling and Angus, they earn 1.6% and 2.2% more than women respectively.
A spokesperson for Forbes Advisor commented on the findings: “These figures shed light on the concerning gender inequality which still persists in Scotland.
“It’s not enough to tweet about gender equality in the wake of International Women’s Day, we all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone is equally compensated for their labour.
“Not only do men earn 10.2% more than women across Scotland as a whole, but in local authorities such as East Dunbartonshire, men are earning up to 26.9% more than women, which shows that we have a long way to go before achieving fair pay.”
Scottish housebuilder Barratt Developments has pledged to recruit 23 new apprentices in Scotland this year as it doubles down on investing in new talent in response to a growing need for skilled tradespeople.
The 23 new trade apprentice roles, which include eight in the east of Scotland, are being launched as part of the homebuilder’s biggest ever apprentice recruitment campaign, and will see opportunities in bricklaying, joinery, electrical maintenance and plumbing in Barratt Developments sites across the country, which includes both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes.
The announcement coincides with the annual Scottish Apprenticeship Week, running from 7-11 March, which celebrates the benefits of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses and the wider economy. At a time when young people have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing high-quality employment opportunities is central to economic recovery plans.
Alison Condie, managing director for Barratt Developments East Scotland, said:“This is an exciting time for anyone with an interest in housebuilding to join Barratt. The construction industry is flourishing and we are committed to help young people progress through the business.
“Many of the apprentices we’ve hired over the years are now in leadership positions responsible for managing and delivering multi-million pound housing developments.
“As one of the country’s top housing developers we are absolutely committed to investing in raw talent, and there’s never been a more important time to provide these kinds of apprenticeship opportunities.”
A shortage of skilled tradespeople has been repeatedly cited as a major risk to the growth and success of the construction sector, both in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
The latest monthly construction market survey (Q4 2021) from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows the second most significant hindrance to construction activity is a skills shortage, with over two thirds (67%) of respondents reporting that skilled trades and project managers are in particularly short supply.
The new apprentices, who will start in August, will be based on a designated development site and will learn skills in bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, electrical maintenance or plumbing from experienced tradespeople, as well as attend college each week to gain formal qualifications.
Gage is laying the building blocks for a rewarding career in construction
With qualifications varying from computing to mechanics and panel beating, it’s fair to say that Gage Wells (23) is passionate about learning practical skills that will serve him well in everyday life. However, after finishing his studies he hadn’t pinpointed exactly what he wanted to do as his career.
Although Gage had little hands-on construction experience of his own, he was surrounded by people working within the industry; “My dad’s a joiner and initially I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but after testing it out I realised it wasn’t the trade for me. I also dabbled a bit in plastering and as a sparkie, but it was my brother-in-law, who works for Barratt Homes as a labourer, who told me about an apprenticeship in bricklaying, and I decided to give it a go.”
After successfully being offered a place on Barratt’s bricklaying apprenticeship scheme, Gage is currently in his first of four years. He’s based on-site at Barratt Homes in Winchburgh, Midlothian for two weeks of each month, with the other two weeks spent at Edinburgh College’s Granton campus.
Although he’s only in his first year of the apprenticeship, he’s been involved with the bricklaying process since day one – laying his first brick the very first day he started. Since then he’s also received training on how to safely use blades and ladders and works alongside more experienced members of the team to learn the trade first-hand.
Perhaps no surprise given his qualifications but it’s the practical side of the apprenticeship that Gage enjoys best, something many apprentices would agree on. This is reflected in his hobbies outside of work, where he takes his three younger brothers fishing and camping to learn different survival skills. Prior to starting his apprenticeship, Gage also helped with caring for his younger brother, and he’s passionate about helping to upskill the next generation in the future.
Gage’s also developing his analytical and technical skills and feels he can put his mathematical brain to good use, as it’s incredibly important to be precise when building a house. For some, physically building a home might seem like a daunting task, but when asked how it felt laying his first brick, Gage said: “I felt very accomplished when laying my first brick, it was like I was just meant to be there – almost as if the building blocks had fallen into place.”
Since starting his apprenticeship in August 2021, Gage reckons he has helped to build at least 15 homes in Winchburgh. He loves how rewarding his job is, how friendly the people are and the fact that he always has someone to work alongside him.
The UK is currently facing a bricklayer shortage. Bricklayers have been repeatedly cited as one of the hardest trades to recruit, with more than two-thirds (68%) of construction sites struggling to hire bricklayers (State of Trade, 2020). Skills like Gage’s will be increasingly in demand, and it’s a great time to consider learning a trade. In fact, Gage’s goal when he is fully qualified is to start his own business and support more young people like himself into bricklaying and helping to reduce the shortage within the trade industry while providing a lifelong and rewarding career.
And Gage’s advice for anyone thinking about an apprenticeship? “Just go for it, I have no regrets! I learn a lot of transferrable skills, get to work with great people and it’s set me up with a trade that will always be needed.”
– Housebuilder supports 1,652 jobs, completes 732 new homes and 13.1ha of green space –
Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has made a substantial contribution of £256.3m to the Scottish economy, with the housebuilder’s East Scotland division supplying £106.9m in GVA itself.
In the year ending 30 June 2021, Barratt East Scotland has also completed 732 new homes of which 144 were affordable and supported 1,652 direct, indirect and induced jobs across the region.
2021 also saw the largest UK housebuilder reinforce its commitment to creating homes for nature as well as people. The business created 13.1ha of public green spaces and private gardens around the region, the equivalent of 19 football pitches, to help support wildlife on and around its sites.
Barratt is working towards reducing its direct carbon emissions by 29% by 2025 and indirect emissions by 24% per square metre by 2030. In the past year, CO2e emissions per 100m.sq. of completed build area fell to 2.25t. across the East Scotland business.
98% of construction waste was also saved from landfill and 26% of new homes were built on previously developed land, up 54% on the previous year.
Alison Condie, managing director for Barratt East Scotland, said:“As the UK’s largest housebuilder, and one of the most sustainable, we place considerable emphasis on supporting people, the environment and generating strong economic growth for the region.
“To have contributed over £106m to the economy and supported over 1,652 jobs is a fantastic achievement and we’re determined to do even better this year.”
As part of its housebuilding activity, Barratt East Scotland has made £5.4m in local contributions to help build new facilities and community infrastructure. This contribution includes the provision of 320 new school places.
More than £19.3m has also been spent on physical works within communities, such as highways, environmental improvements and community facilities.
Other key findings from the Barratt East Scotland 2021 socio-economic report include:
· Increased support for public services with £23.9m in generated tax revenues
· Over £36,400 donated to local charitable and community causes
· 284 supplier and 335 sub-contractor companies supported
· Increased support for the UK supply chain with 90% of all components centrally procured, assembled or manufactured in-country
· More than £10.7m in retail spending by new residents, helping support 114 retail and service-related jobs
The development of new and future talent remains a key priority for Barratt Developments Scotland and 53 graduates, apprentices and trainees launched their careers with the company in 2021, 15 from the East Scotland Division.
The assessment of Barratt Developments’ performance was carried out by independent consultants Lichfields, who analysed socio-economic impacts through the delivery chain for new housing based on Barratt datasets, published research and national statistics.
A new partnership approach will be embedded across the education and skills system to ensure employers and government are working together to deliver training opportunities for the new green jobs of the future.
Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation recognises the critical importance of providing the current and future workforce with lifetime access to learning new skills, upskilling and retraining as part of plans to unlock Scotland’s economic potential.
The strategy sets out how public, private and third sector partnerships can work together to help make Scotland’s workforce more agile and support employers to invest in emerging economic opportunities.
This work is designed to help build a fairer and more equal society by ensuring economic transformation tackles inequality and drives up working standards and improves pay.
Actions include:
working collaboratively with employers and unions to increase investment in upskilling and retraining to better meet the needs of employers and employees in Scotland’s transition to net zero
supporting and incentivising employees, and their employers, to invest in skills and training throughout their working lives
expanding Scotland’s available talent pool, at all skills levels, to give employers the skills pipeline they need to take advantage of opportunities
implementing the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan to align Scotland’s skills system with business needs to reach net zero
implementing the next phase of the Green Jobs Workforce Academy and launching a new skills guarantee for workers in carbon intensive industries
developing proposals for a national digital academy to open up access to a range of subjects for all learners
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “The next decade will be decisive for Scotland’s economy and a key part of achieving our enormous economic potential will be investing in one of our greatest economic assets – our people.
“We want to build on the success of our Young Person’s Guarantee, Future Skills Action Plan and our investment in the Green Jobs Workforce Academy to create a skills system that offers lifetime access to new skills and retraining.
“A collaborative approach across all sectors will support our commitment to lifelong learning to ensure people across Scotland can access the tools they need for the jobs of the future and to participate in the labour market. This will also support employers to access incentives to invest in emerging economic opportunities which has the potential to lead to new jobs, new skills, and new ideas.”
The City of Edinburgh Council-led regeneration of Meadowbank has reached another major milestone this week as Councillors agreed to appoint a development partner for the next stage of the project.
Approved at the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday following a competitive procurement process, the £1.045million contract will be awarded to the Edinburgh Meadowbank Group, to be referred to as EDMB, a consortium comprising of John Graham Holdings, Panacea Property Development and Miller Homes.
They will progress design and pre-construction works by early 2023 ahead of the start of construction work on site.
The ambition for the development of Meadowbank is to create one of the Capital’s greenest neighbourhoods by incorporating low-car, low-carbon infrastructure with energy efficient homes.
The regeneration will deliver around 600 new mixed tenure homes for sale and rent, at least 35% of which will be affordable with a number being fully wheelchair adapted.
Positioned on the site adjacent to the new Meadowbank Sports Centre off London Road, it will also include space for a range of commercial and community uses on the ground floor including the proposed location for a GP Surgery.
High quality public realm and landscaping, focusing on the industrial and sporting heritage will provide new active travel routes through to Restalrig, while protecting and enhancing the existing trees and environment.
During the pre-development period, work will be carried out to prepare for construction, including developing detailed designs and agreeing a net zero carbon energy solution for the site, contributing to the Council’s ambitious target to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
The Meadowbank masterplan for the site was approved in October 2020 following an extensive programme of community consultation.
Regular engagement on proposals for the site has continued with the Meadowbank Sounding Board – a group consisting of local representatives, councillors, and council officers – which continues to review progress and ensure the site continues to best meet the community’s and council’s priorities.
A wide range of community benefits and fair work proposals will also be delivered. These will include seven new apprenticeship positions and fourteen new job opportunities; site visits for local schools over the course of the development; employability support events; community enhancement projects, including donations of up to £100,000 to community groups; and all employees and sub-contractors will be paid the Real Living Wage.
Councillor Rob Munn, Finance and Resource Convener, said: “Strong and extensive scrutiny has gone into this procurement process to get us to this point. We’ve discussed this at committee today and agree that we have a pre-development partner in place that shares our vision while also offering us best value.
“We now want to deliver more affordable housing and space for retail businesses, while we hope to provide a much-needed GP surgery provision to benefit everyone within the local community.
“It’s great that these homes are located a short distance from the city centre and will be both cost effective to heat alongside some that will be wheelchair accessible. With the Meadowbank masterplan also having been awarded a ‘Building with Nature’ accreditation we know that development will be setting standards for sustainable design, implementation and maintenance of high-quality green features so I look forward to seeing the results of this stage of the development and what EDMB can bring to that.”
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Vice Convener, said: “Seeing another stage of our masterplan getting closer to becoming a reality is very exciting, especially as it will provide so many homes for the city, contributing to our ambition to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027.
“This development and wider neighbourhood, shaped by the local community, will bring a great regenerative feel to this area of the city.
“Through the community benefits programme we have agreed as part of this contract, we also hope to bring new jobs and training opportunities for local people, offering opportunities for local school leavers and children to be part of the vision for Meadowbank.”
Port of Leith Housing Association has been named the 10th best housing association to work for and the 33rd best company to work for in the UK.
It is recognised as the 11th best company to work for in Scotland. Based in Leith and providing over 3,000 homes across north Edinburgh, it employs over one hundred staff who work closely with local communities.
The Best Companies rankings are based on staff feedback on workplace factors such as leadership, wellbeing and personal growth.
Heather Kiteley, Group Chief Executive said: “It is incredibly important to Port of Leith Housing Association that staff enjoy great working conditions and feel supported and motivated in their roles.
“This is captured in our strategic plan and we believe that employee engagement is key to being a brilliant company. It has been a great success to rank among the top companies to work for in the UK. I am immensely proud of all our members of staff who contribute to making our organisation a brilliant place to work.”
Three key workplace factors that stood out in Association’s Best Companies ranking were work life balance, charitable activities, and that the organisation is run on strong values and principles.
This includes an ‘open-door’ approach to leadership, referring staff members to free counselling and supporting wellbeing during lockdowns, and distributing over £200,000 to local community organisations.
This ranking comes just months after an award for Excellence from the European Foundation of Quality Management last year. The award acknowledged the flexibility and responsiveness with which the Association met the impact of the pandemic.
A MAJOR conference and events business is reporting that 2022 is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels – and looks to expand its headcount by 70%.
In a positive sign for Edinburgh’s crucial hospitality and business tourism sectors, Surgeons Quarter – the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) – has experienced demand for in-person meetings and events well ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
The Living Wage-accredited organisation which manages a vast mix of historic and purpose-built RCSEd venues, as well as Ten Hill Place Hotel, Café 1505 and Surgeons Quarter Travel – has seen events and conferences that postponed due to the pandemic rebook their events for 2022 as well as a high level of new enquiries.
This trend which has included new bookings for major conferences such as the Functional Regulatory Genomic Disease Meeting, a conference which will bring together international leaders in the study of genetics of disease in April 2022, has led to Surgeons Quarter returning to operate at close to maximum levels.
As a result, Surgeons Quarter is set to recruit for 60-70 positions during April, May and June.
Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “It’s a pleasure to be in a position to expand our hospitality teams again and add vital jobs to help us service the increasing levels of business we’re bringing in.
“It’s important that we get the recovery right – hospitality and the business tourism economy are integral to the city’s overall prosperity. We can see first-hand the direct effect it has on employment.
“In addition to our busy events calendar, Ten Hill Place Hotel is seeing encouraging occupancy levels predicted to exceed the pre pandemic levels.
“To further boost our activities in 2022, we are actively planning for the full return of the Festival Fringe for which we are one of the largest operators – and at the end of the year, we are looking forward to a busy festive period of celebration, which we have all missed in the past 18 months”.
The organisation also launched its first TV advertising campaign on 25th February with the theme highlighting guests will be ‘In Good Hands’ as a reference to its surgical connections and charitable aims which should help further raise its profile.
During the first lockdown Ten Hill Place provided free rooms and meals to key workers tackling the pandemic. Over 2,100 rooms were supplied free of charge at a cost to the company of over £100,000.
Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.
For anyone interested in joining the dynamic and award-winning Surgeons Quarter team, please email recruiment@surgeonsquarter.com
New TUC analysis reveals Women’s Pay Day – the day when the average woman starts getting paid compared to the average man – was Friday 25 February.In Scotland, the date was 11 February.
In parts of the country where the gender pay gap is wider, women work for free for longer. And in finance and insurance, women wait until 27 April for their Women’s Pay Day
TUC calls on ministers to boost rights to flexible working, and for cash injection for childcare sector
The average woman effectively works for free for nearly two months of the year compared to the average man, according to new analysis published by the TUC.
The gender pay gap for all employees is 15.4 per cent. This pay gap means that women wait 56 days before they start to get paid on Women’s Pay Day today.
Industrial gender pay gaps
Despite the introduction of gender pay gap reporting, the analysis published by the TUC today shows that there are still big gender pay gaps in many industries.
Even in jobs that tend to be dominated by female workers like education and social care the gender pay gap persists.
In these sectors women get paid much less per hour on average than men, both because they are more likely to be in part-time jobs or are in lower-paid roles.
In education the gender pay gap is 25.4 per cent, so the average woman effectively works for free for more than a quarter of the year (93 days) and has to wait until Saturday 2 April 2022 before she starts getting paid compared to the average man.
In health care and social work jobs, where the gender pay gap is 18.3 per cent, the average woman waits 67 days for her Women’s Pay Day on Monday 7 March 2022.
The longest wait for Women’s Pay Day comes in finance and insurance. The gender pay gap (32.3 per cent) is the equivalent of 118 days, meaning it’s nearly a third of the year before Women’s Pay Day finally kicks in on 27 April 2022.
Generational gender pay gaps
The TUC analysis shows that the gender pay gap is widest for older women, so they have to wait longer for their Women’s Pay Day.
Women aged between 40 and 49 have a pay gap of 21.3 per cent and work for free until Friday 18 March 2022.
And women aged 50 and 59 have the highest gender pay gap (21.8 per cent). They work 80 days of the year for free before they are paid on Sunday 20 March 2022.
Regional gender pay gaps
The analysis also shows that in some parts of the country gender pay gaps are even bigger, so their Women’s Pay Day is later in the year.
The gender pay gap is largest in the south east (18.9 per cent). Women in this region work 69 days for free and their pay day isn’t until Wednesday 9 March.
And women in the south west (16.6 per cent) and the east midlands (16.8 per cent pay gap) have to wait until next week (Tuesday 1 March and Wednesday 2 March) for their pay days.
Regional variations in the gender pay gap are likely to be caused by differences in the types of jobs and industries that are most common in that part of the UK, says the TUC.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s shocking that working women still don’t have pay parity. At current rates of progress, it will take nearly 30 more years to close the gender pay gap.
“It’s clear that just publishing gender pay gaps isn’t enough. Companies must be required to explain what steps they’ll take to close their gender pay gaps – and bosses who don’t comply with the law should be fined.
“The last two years have shown us that employers can do more to help women balance caring responsibilities and work. Flexible working is vital to mums keeping their jobs and progressing at work and is our best chance of closing the gender pay gap.
“All jobs must be advertised with the possible flexible options clearly stated, and all workers must have the legal right to work flexibly from their first day in a job.”
Childcare and parental leave
Frances added: “The gender pay gap widens dramatically once women become mums. We need more funding for affordable, good quality childcare to support working parents – along with better wages and recognition for childcare workers.
“And both parents need to be able to share childcare more easily. Without better rights to well-paid leave, mums will continue to take on the lion-share of caring responsibilities – and continue to take a financial hit.
“We need a complete overhaul of the shared parental leave system. It’s not an affordable option for most working families. Dads need leave they can take in their own right. It shouldn’t rely on mums giving up some of their maternity leave.”
Almost half of Scottish pupils go on to higher education
A record 95.5% of pupils were in a ‘positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year.
Latest figures published yesterday also show 45.1% of school leavers went on to higher education courses at college or university – the highest since records began in 2009-10.
The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination was the lowest since 2009-10.
The statistics show that for National Qualifications:
87.7% of school leavers achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 5 (eg National 5) or better – up from 85.7% in 2019-20 and 77.1% in 2009-10
66% achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 6 (eg Higher) or better – up from 63.9% in 2019-20 and 50.4% in 2009-10
the gap narrowed between the proportion of pupils from the most and least deprived areas leaving school with at least one pass at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 or better
the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards to support them into the workplace continued to increase
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 95.5% of pupils were in positive destinations three months after leaving school. This reflects the resilience and hard work of our young people and all who have supported them during the past two turbulent years.
“The narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap shown by the figures is also very welcome. So, too, is the increase in the proportion of pupils gaining vocational qualifications and in those going on to higher education in college and university.
“It is important, though, to view the statistics against the backdrop of COVID-19. Exams had to be cancelled for two years and National Qualifications were awarded using different methods. The pandemic will also have affected the choices made by some school leavers and the opportunities available to them.
“Our focus remains on ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for initial destinations for school leavers (2020/21), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of leading children’s care providers – said: “We greatly welcome the increase in school leavers with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, entering a positive destination three months after leaving mainstream school.
“This includes the likes of further education, higher education, employment and training.
“The gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN in a positive destination has decreased from 5.8 per cent for 2019/20 to 4.2 per cent in 2020/21.
“It is deeply encouraging to see an increase in the percentage of school leavers with ASN in a positive destination and to note that this gap is narrowing when compared with those with no ASN.
“The key here is to ensure that we maintain this position when the statistics are published for those in a positive destination nine months after leaving school. The figures for 2019/20 showed a disappointing decrease on the previous year, and it is important that increased resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and as they transition beyond it.2
“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
