Child Benefit can be claimed for children after they turn 16 if they are staying on in approved education or training
Parents have less than 2 weeks to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) their 16-19 year-old is continuing education or training or their Child Benefit payments will stop.
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers will decide on their future this week as they receive their GCSE results on Thursday (22 August 2024).
For parents of 16-19 year-olds who haven’t yet extended their claim, Child Benefit payments will stop after 31 August. If their child is going to continue in approved education or training, parents can continue receiving Child Benefit and HMRC is urging them to extend their claim now.
To make sure they do not miss out, parents can quickly and easily extend their Child Benefit claim online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app. More than 270,000 parents have extended their claim digitally so far, with the changes applied to their record without the need to wait on the phone.
Parents should keep their claim details up to date, even if they’ve opted not to receive Child Benefit payments due to the High Income Child Benefit Charge. Parents who want to opt back into receiving Child Benefit payments, can do this quickly and easily online on GOV.UK or in the HMRC app.
Child Benefit is worth up to £1,331 a year for the first or only child, and up to £881 a year for every additional child.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit is an important financial support for many households and we don’t want to see any eligible family miss out.
“You can extend your claim quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”
Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, the charity for single parent families, said: “Child Benefit is valuable to families and particularly single parent families, who are forced to make ends meet on a single income.
“It’s really important, with the 31 August deadline fast approaching, that parents whose children are going into further education and training extend their claim as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this crucial financial help.”
Child Benefit can continue to be paid for children who are studying full time in non-advanced education, which includes:
A levels or Scottish Highers
International Baccalaureate
Home education – if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
T levels
NVQs, up to level 3
Child Benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:
in Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
in Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
in Scotland: the No One Left Behind programme.
If a child changes their mind about further education or training, parents can simply inform HMRC online or via the HMRC app and payments will be adjusted accordingly.
Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. If they do not have one already, they can register on GOV.UK and will just need their National Insurance number or postcode, and 2 forms of ID.
Now that the schools are back, are you looking for a job to fill the time but don’t know where to start?
Our Nurturing Futures programme has been designed to support parents in North Edinburgh looking to get back to work. Working with our Employability Officer, Lynne, you will build skills and confidence to get the job you really want.
As well as receiving support from Lynne with job searching, you may also take advantage of the free childcare support available to allow you to attend interviews or training or just free up time to focus on their job searching.
A motorcyclist course that gives tips on better riding is now available across the country.
Police Scotland, along with road safety partners, are holding courses to help motorcyclists as part of a holistic approach which also includes educating other drivers to reduce the number of collisions.
Motorcyclist deaths are up 80 per cent (18) this year compared to the same period last year (10).
Rider Refinement East and West is a one-day course, with eight sessions between August 2024 and October 2024 in Glenrothes and Glasgow.
Led by police motorcyclists and accompanied by an observer from the Institute of Advance Motorists, the course will look at key risk factors and provide riders with the knowledge and skills to be safer.
The course involves demonstration rides, observed rides with feedback from officers, vehicle examination checks of riders’ bikes and safety checks that should be carried out before any journey.
Previous courses received positive feedback from riders who changed their riding style and improved their skills as a result of attending Rider Refinement.
Inspector Ally Johnson, head of Police Scotland’s Motorcycle Unit, said: “The course is about engaging with motorcyclists and helping them make better decisions to improve their riding.
“This isn’t about taking the fun out of riding a bike. The course is run by motorcyclists, for motorcyclists.
“On a daily basis we also speak to other road users and highlight campaigns to encourage drivers to look out for motorcyclists, especially at corners and junctions.
“The harsh reality is people are dying on Scotland’s roads and we need everyone to play their part to help us improve road safety.
“I would encourage people to come along, speak to us and try the course for yourself.”
The course is open to any qualified motorcyclist who hold a full cat A or A2 licence; however, priority will be given to those living in central belt of Scotland.
Police Scotland would like to specifically thank Donald Malcolm Heritage Centre and Motorcycle Law Scotland for their continued support with Rider Refinement East and West.
Rider Refinement originally started in the north in 2018, before extending to the East in 2023 and is now rolled out to the West in 2024.
The cost of the course is £40 per rider and includes lunch. Spaces are limited, so providing more than one date for attendance will increase your chances of being able to participate.
Anyone interested in attending the course can email:
East, Glenrothes Police Station Saturday 17th August Saturday 28th September Sunday 20th October
West, Donald Malcolm Heritage Centre in Linwood Sunday 11th August Monday 2nd September Sunday 15th September Saturday 5th October Thursday 17th October
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh & David Nott Foundation collaborate to address critical shortage of skilled surgical care in disaster zones
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), in partnership with the David Nott Foundation (DNF), has launched an intensive training course designed to equip surgeons with the vital skills needed to save lives in conflict and disaster zones.
Aimed at medical professionals who work in, or are planning to travel to, conflict and catastrophe zones around the world, the first course was held on June 3-7 at RCSEd’s Skills Lab in Edinburgh, with a second scheduled for December 2024.
The Hostile Environment Surgical Training UK (HEST-UK) course brought together UK-based surgeons and those from war-torn regions, including six participants from Ukraine and one from Libya, for a transformative week of intensive training.
The course – which equips surgeons to surgically treat a wide range of traumatic injuries, from head wounds to blast wounds – marks the first successful partnership between RCSEd’s Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH) and DNF, aiming to upskill surgeons who aspire to make a difference in the humanitarian space.
Professor Angus Watson, FRRHH Executive Committee Member, who helped facilitate the course, said: “The impact of this course has already been profound, and will save countless lives in future.
“By combining DNF’s expertise with RCSEd’s dedication to professional standards in humanitarian healthcare, this partnership promises to empower medical professionals and add to their skillset and provide crucial care in the most difficult of circumstances.”
The HEST-UK course offers a unique and rigorous training experience, drawing on the extensive frontline expertise of Professor David Nott, Co-Founder of the David Nott Foundation, who has over 30 years of experience in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.
Participants are trained in a broad range of trauma care skills, from triage and head wounds to penetrating injuries and obstetric emergencies, preparing them as generalist trauma surgeons ready to provide care in any situation.
Dr. Israar Ul-Haq, a doctor specialising in urgent and pre-hospital care based in West Midlands, near Birmingham, joined a previous HEST-UK course to refine his trauma surgery skills before deploying to Gaza. His experience in Gaza’s crisis zones underscored the real-world impact of the training.
He said: “The course impacted every aspect of my work in Gaza, such as understanding the local environment and the types of injuries we encountered. Techniques like thoracotomy and bleeding control learned during the course became standard procedures in our daily practice.
“Whether it was performing chest drains, managing blast injuries, or treating burns, the training equipped me with the skills I needed.”
The course offers a strong progression from FRRHH’s Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare Course, launched back in 2021.
Professor Rowan Parks, President of RCSEd, commented: “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the David Nott Foundation and the tremendous impact of the Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST-UK) course.
“This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to support and equip surgeons who are committed to providing life-saving care in the most challenging and austere environments, through innovative and accessible training programmes.”
Elly Nott, Co-Founder of the David Nott Foundation, said: “Wherever there is conflict, there is a need for well-trained doctors to provide safe, skilled surgical care. We are delighted to join forces with the RCSEd to run Hostile Environment Surgical Training-UK, a course dedicated to preparing surgeons for the injuries they encounter and treat in war.
“Our programme is taught by surgeons with decades of experience in conflict and catastrophe zones and informed by our values of compassion, excellence and resilience.”
With the need for culture organisations to diversify and expand their skills more acute than ever, Culture & Business Scotland have unveiled a series of training opportunities and events designed to help the nation’s creative professionals equip themselves with new knowledge.
The charity, which works to facilitate mutually beneficial connections between the culture and business sectors, will host a series of upcoming events giving organisations well-rounded education in a range of subjects including fundraising through storytelling, legacy giving and the principles of board membership.
Next week, a short course on board membership taking place on Tuesday 4th June will give new trustees and board members access to two informative, hands-on sessions introducing them to their new roles and responsibilities.
On Tuesday 4th and Tuesday 11th June two sessions will explore the five stages of the copywriting process, while additional training courses will help participants to deeper their understanding of corporate sponsorship and discover the benefits and possibilities of legacy giving campaigns.
Along with full-length courses, Culture & Business Scotland run a series of Insights Webinars designed to empower individuals and organisations in the culture sector with knowledge and expertise from industry experts, and networking events, allowing attendees the chance to connect and collaborate with like-minded professionals in the culture sector.
David Watt, Chief Executive of Culture & Business Scotland said: ‘Our programme of events is designed to help both members and non-members to expand their skillsets and knowledge and empower them to feel confident in all aspects of their work.
“Thanks to expert guidance and structured, practical sessions, participants will gain a solid foundation in skills that are crucial in the evolving landscape of Scotland’s culture environment’.
Local rugby club, The Boroughmuir Banshees, had a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with Scottish internationalist Pierre Schoeman.
The programme was launched by Scottish Building Society when it became the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby and sees youth rugby teams apply for a training session with various rugby stars.
Held on Monday 6 May, the team were put through their paces by the loosehead prop alongside Glen Young, lock, Harri Morris, hooker and Sarah Denholm, fly half from Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby women’s team.
Training at Hive Stadium, they were joined by Howe of Fife under 18’s girls team, Muntly under 15’s boys club and Falkirk Rugby Club under 15’s for an incredible opportunity to train with their heroes.
Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland, prop, Pierre Schoeman said: “It was an incredible day out and it was great to see all the teams come along to Hive and give their all in the training sessions.
“There are a few players who I will need to keep my eye on in the coming years. This might be the first of many games they play here at Edinburgh!”
“I would like to thank Boroughmuir Banshees for all their effort and wish the girls all the best in their upcoming games”.
Paul Denton, chief executive, Scottish Building Society said:“When we first launched this programme back in 2022 we wanted to give youth teams a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience to train with rugby players who are at the top of their game.
“We have now held three sessions with 10 teams joining Edinburgh Rugby stars for an inspiration level of access to elite athletes that would otherwise not be possible.
“We at Scottish Building Society hope all four teams had a fantastic day and thank them and of course Pierre Schoeman and the rest of the Edinburgh Rugby players for hosting this session for us.”
Scott Quin, a swim teacher with Edinburgh Leisure will be heading to The British Swimming Championships at the London Aquatics Centre in early April, hoping to qualify for a place in the Paris 2024 Paralympics (28th August – 8 September 2024).
Born with Crouzon Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, the ex-Warrender Baths-based swimmer has been swimming professionally for the last 12 years, funded by sportscotland and Scottish Swimming. Scott has shown himself to be one of the strongest S14 swimmers in the country, having won medals at Paralympic, World and European level.
Scott Quin said: “At the age of 34 years, I’m now considered something of a veteran and realistically this will probably be my last opportunity to try for a place in the Paralympics.
“Having made my Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, marking it with a silver medal in the SB14 100m Breaststroke, it would be great to finish my competitive swimming career with one more chance to bring a medal home.
“For now, I’m busy with intense training and lots of swimming at the Royal Commonwealth and Edinburgh University pools, six to seven times a week combined with gym-based training at the Uni’s Pleasance gym and at the Commie, as well as working at my day job as a swim coach at Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre.”
Now considered a ‘veteran athlete’, and with his competitive swim career coming to an end and funding from British Swimming stopping, Quin explored opportunities outside of competitive swimming.
Edinburgh Leisure offered him the chance to join their Swim Teacher Training Programme last summer for his next career pathway, where he could progress from being a full-time athlete and move into the ‘real working world’ but where he could still combine a career which involved swimming.
The Swim Teacher Training programme, a structured 13-week training programme, ticked a lot of boxes for Scott – as not only does he receive training but also a salary, and on completion of the programme, was offered a job.
Scott said: “Life, as you can imagine, is particularly busy just now but I’m really excited about heading to London in April for the British Swimming Championships. I’m keeping everything crossed that I make the grade to join the team representing my country.”
The British Swimming Championships are returning to the London Aquatics Centre in 2024 and for the first time, the swimming and para-swimming events will fully combine in one competition as athletes look to book their place at Paris 2024.
The 2024 championships will take place at the venue at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2-7 April with the event playing a key role in the selection of the British Olympic and Paralympic swimming teams for the Games in July.
Olympic and Paralympic swimming event schedules will run concurrently in the same programme across six days of heats and finals sessions. The para-swimming events will be run with multi-classification competitions.
It’s the first time since 2015 that the national championships will be held at the Aquatics Centre although it staged the British Swimming Selection Trials ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Amazon offers one of the top private sector apprenticeship programmes in the UK, with opportunities across more than 30 different schemes
New apprenticeship opportunities on offer in 2024, including digital product manager, are in addition to schemes in buying and merchandising, cyber security, marketing and creative design
Over 50% of the apprenticeships will be offered to existing Amazon employeesto retrain and gain new skills
Amazon, ADCS, Tiphaine Brydniak
Two apprentices at Amazon’s Development Centre in Edinburgh are encouraging others to start an apprenticeship and boost their careers after Amazon announced the expansion of its apprenticeship programme with the addition of 1,000 new positions across the UK in 2024.
Amazon offers one of the UK’s top private sector apprenticeship schemes according to the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers[1], including entry-level placements and more than 230 degree-level apprenticeships in programmes including accounting and data analysts.
Recruitment has now started for more than 30 different schemes, from sustainability to engineering, project management to product buying, and warehouse team leaders to health and safety technicians.
This year, Amazon is also launching new programmes including the digital product manager apprenticeship and the commercial procurement and supply apprenticeship. The range of different apprenticeship schemes reflect both Amazon’s diverse workforce and the communities it serves every day across the UK.
As well as offering hundreds of new roles to external candidates, more than half of the new apprenticeships will be offered to existing employees who will have the opportunity to retrain and gain new skills for an exciting new career path. In 2023, two thirds (67%) of new apprentices at Amazon were aged 25 and over, an increase of 10% year on year, which demonstrates the support apprenticeships provide in helping people pursue new careers.
An apprentice who is currently taking part in the programme is Tiphaine Brydniak, from the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh.
Tiphaine is a software development engineer (SDE) apprentice at the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh. She’s been in the role since 2021 and is due to complete the apprenticeship in 2025 in conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University.
Tiphaine had been working as an accountant in London for seven years before switching her career path to tech. She’d been interested in the industry since school, initially in web development and video game design, but her lack of experience made her nervous to explore new job opportunities.
When she was on a career break from accountancy, Tiphaine’s partner bought her access to an online course in programming. At the same time, she started building a mobile app for herself to track the birds she spotted. She found she enjoyed the broad scope of tech, and became determined to make a career switch.
In 2021, Tiphaine was accepted onto the Amazon Software Development Engineering apprenticeship, and she hasn’t looked back since.
“At the beginning of my apprenticeship I felt like I knew nothing, and I definitely had a bit of imposter syndrome,” Tiphaine said. “Over the years, I’ve realised that even senior development engineers feel that way sometimes, and it’s part of our growth. I’ve never once felt like I can’t ask my managers questions, and have been supported every step of the way – it’s been brilliant.”
Tiphaine shared what her favourite thing about working at Amazon is, saying: “I’ve rotated through a number of roles during my apprenticeship, which has allowed me to experience different parts of the business. On every team, I’ve played a part in high-impact projects that have complex and interesting problems to solve. You’re not restricted by being an apprentice at Amazon; you get to be fully part of the team.”
Tiphaine has some advice for people thinking of applying for an apprenticeship with Amazon, particularly if it involves changing career later in life: “If you’re worried about going back to uni, you don’t need to be. The split of ‘mature’ students and first timers on this apprenticeship course is about 50/50, which made the experience less daunting for me. It’s important to reflect on how far you’ve come and how much you’ve achieved, and you can do that again in something new.”
Declan Fisher from Livingston is also software development engineer apprentice at Amazon in Edinburgh. He started at the company in August 2021 and is due to complete his apprenticeship later this year.
Declan left school in 2019 and started a degree at Heriot-Watt University studying Maths with Computer Science. He says:
“I had just left school and wanted some freedom, but I don’t think I was ready for university. After two months, I left and took a year out while working part-time at a supermarket. The pandemic also hit that year, so I spent a lot of time considering what it was I wanted to do going forward. I knew I wanted something to challenge me a bit while I was also earning money.
“My mum had told me to look at apprenticeships when I was at school, but it wasn’t until I was older that I went back and had a look at apprenticeships online. I liked the sound of getting paid while I work and study.
“I applied for a few apprenticeships, really anything technical I could find at the time. I knew I liked computers, but I didn’t know how to program at all. I got offered a data analytics role at a different company and did that for a year. During my time there, I realised I enjoyed the programming side but in that role we only did quite simple data analysis. It was a bit repetitive, and I wanted something more, so I started looking for something new and applied for an SDE role at Amazon.”
Declan explains what he is enjoying most about his apprenticeship at Amazon: “It’s such a different way to learn compared to university. I learn a lot more on the job than I would’ve at university, and other apprentices in my cohort have said the same. I like that it’s hands-on experience, and it’s good to be getting paid at the same time.
“I was drawn to Amazon specifically because I’ve always wanted to work in tech, and it’s a household-name tech company, so my heart was set from the beginning. Amazon is a really exciting company to be a part of and there’s lots to get involved in. Just recently we had a social night in the office, had a takeaway and doing some fun team activities.
“The field of technology is constantly developing, and I’ve realised there’s never going to be a time where you’re not learning something new. I always assumed if you were higher up in the company, you’d know everything, but that’s not the case. We’re always learning And developing our skills and knowledge further.
Declan has some advice for anyone considering an apprenticeship at Amazon:
“Make sure you’re passionate about the subject you’re applying for and know it well before you go for an interview. In the same vein, don’t be afraid to apply if you feel underqualified, because the apprenticeship is designed to take someone who doesn’t have any experience and train them to be a skilled engineer.”
After he completes his apprenticeship later this year, Declan hopes to stay at Amazon and progress within the company as a software development engineer.
Nicola Drury, Head of Skills and Apprenticeships at Amazon, said: “Every year we look forward to recruiting ambitious and enthusiastic apprentices to join our teams working to deliver for customers all over the UK. Whether they’re retraining to begin a new and exciting career, or gaining new skills to take their career in a new direction, we’re proud to provide opportunities for people to find their dream roles.”
The 1,000 new apprenticeships highlight Amazon’s ongoing commitment to creating jobs and training opportunities for people across the UK. Once qualified, apprentices will have the opportunity to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres as well as corporate offices in London and Manchester, and four development centres in Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, and Swansea.
Amazon apprentices work across a wide variety of different schemes in hundreds of teams, from software developers in Prime Video, buyers in fashion, and production in Amazon Studios. This year apprentices could be a solutions architect in Amazon Web Services, a marketer in Amazon Music, or work with cutting-edge technology in operations as an engineer.
Since 2021, Amazon has pledged £8m supporting over 400 SMEs with apprenticeships via the apprenticeship levy transfer service. To date, Amazon has supported over 750 apprentices across a wide range of schemes including adult care, data, dental nurses and broadcast production assistants.
In addition to the apprenticeship schemes, Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays up to 95% of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment is provided for its employees. The roles pay a minimum of £11.80 or £12.50 per hour, rising from April to between £12.30 and £13 per hour, depending on location, and up to £33,500 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. All employees also receive a benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount – which combined are worth thousands annually – as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2024’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for the second consecutive year. https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/top-employer-2024
Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk
Highest proportion ever in work, training or study
The number of young people in work, training or further study three months after the end of the school year has reached a record high of 95.9%.
The Attainment and Initial Leaver Destination statistics 2022-23 also show that the gap between those from the most and least deprived areas progressing after leaving school has continued to narrow and is now at a record low (3.7 percentage points).
The proportion of school leavers with one or more technical or vocational qualifications at SCQF Level 5 or better has reached a record high of 30.4%.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “These figures show the highest proportion of Scotland’s young people are achieving positive destinations since records began and it is very encouraging to see so many people are securing work, training or further study.
“We are committed to closing the poverty-related attainment gap and ensuring all of our young people have the same opportunities to progress in life, so I’m encouraged to see that the gap in relation to positive destinations has narrowed to a record low.
“Young people experienced significant disruption to their education during the pandemic, and to see so many of them reaching positive destinations is really heartening – and is testament to their hard work and the extraordinary support provided by Scotland’s teachers.
