The Improvement Service and the Open University (OU) in Scotland are working together to offer all community council volunteers the opportunity to upskill and reskill using OU courses.
Throughout the pandemic the Improvement Service’s Community Councils (CCs) project supported by Scottish Government has been trying to find ways to support CCs as they adapt to new ways of working and the OU was one of the organisations we reached out to and asked how they could help.
We asked Scotland’s CCs what skills they would find helpful to have or improve on and we are delighted to present these free online courses which the OU have tailored to suit the needs of Scottish CCs.
Many CCs have fully embraced the digital journey during the pandemic and there are courses here to help you continue that journey such as using Microsoft Teams and succeeding in a digital world. In addition to digital skills there are also courses on a range of other topics that community councillors have suggested including finance, fundraising, community and business skills.
These courses are totally free – all community councillors have to do is register for a free account and then you can begin your learning journey with the OU.
The OU has many courses to choose from but if you would like to suggest additional topics for training not covered that would benefit CCs in Scotland please let us know by e-mail: scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk
So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your skills or learn some brand new ones with the OU, just click on the link below to begin your journey:
Recruitment has started for 25 different apprenticeship schemes ranging from engineering to broadcast production, creative digital design to health, safety and environment technician
Roles include 100 degree-level apprenticeships and more than 500 apprenticeships for Amazon employees, providing an opportunity to retrain and gain new skills
Pay starts at a minimum of £10.80 p/h in the London area and £9.70 p/h in other parts of the UK up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships
Amazon created 10,000 new permanent UK jobs in 2020, and now employs more than 40,000 people across the country
Amazon has announced it has started recruiting for over 1,000 full-time apprenticeships in the UK in 2021, covering 25 different programmes ranging from IT, safety technician and HR through to software engineering and creative digital design.
The roles which pay minimum of £10.80 p/h in the London area and £9.70 p/h in other parts of the UK up to £30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships include 100 degree-level apprenticeships in automation engineering, project management, software development and chartered management.
Over 500 new apprenticeships will be offered to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing opportunities to retrain and gain new skills leading to an exciting new career path. Apprenticeships exclusively for Amazon employees range from a team leader through to a coaching practitioner.
In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount – which combined are worth more than £700 annually – as well as a company pension plan.
Apprentice programmes last between 14 months and four years and a typical apprenticeship combines theoretical learning with hands-on training, enabling participants to obtain qualifications and degrees and earn money in the process.
Once qualified, apprentices will have the potential to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and the company’s UK head offices in London and Manchester and the three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London.
The 1,000 apprenticeships add to Amazon’s continued commitment to creating jobs and opportunities to learn new skills across the UK. Amazon created 10,000 new permanent jobs in the UK in 2020 alone, and employs more than 40,000 people in some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world with competitive pay, processes and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.
Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan, said:“It’s fantastic to see Amazon continuing to invest in apprentices. These apprenticeships cover a range of exciting roles from broadcast production to engineering, showcasing the huge variety of opportunities available to young people looking to build a great career.
“I know first-hand the life changing opportunities an apprenticeship can bring. I wish all those who apply the best of luck and thank Amazon for their ongoing commitment to building skills and talent both for today and in the future.”
“We are proud to be creating new opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK to gain skills through our apprenticeship programmes in 25 different fields, from logistics to robotics,” said, John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon.
“An Amazon apprenticeship offers an exciting career path, creating opportunities within our local communities across the UK and helping our own employees retrain and gain new skills at a time when investing in people and jobs has never been more important.”
Hal Stanfield (25), IT apprentice based in the Networking and Project Management team at the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Hal left school and joined Amazon’s customer service scheme. Through the Amazon Career Choice Programme, Hal was able to develop his burgeoning interest in IT and embarked on a part-time college course in computing with on-the-job training through the IT apprenticeship.
Hal said: “I wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise, and Amazon made it really convenient to re-train myself. It’s been great for my confidence, I’m now so much more skilled and engaged in my role.
“This apprenticeship has been one of the best work decisions I’ve ever made. In my role I get to talk to people in all areas of the business, and that’s something I really enjoy. There’s also a strong community in the apprenticeship programme that has developed through group activities and chats, despite the pandemic.”
The 1,000 new apprentices will join current apprentices already working at Amazon. The current Amazon apprenticeship schemes have attracted recruits from a range of different backgrounds from a former barista, footballer and photographer, to former military veterans and nurses.
Throughout the last year, people have also joined Amazon from construction, customer services, health care, hospitality and sales industries.
Amazon also offers employees Career Choice, an innovative programme which pre-pays 95% of tuition 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.
Amazon provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.
Amazon has invested over £23 billion in the UK since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while supporting tens of thousands of businesses and creative professionals including small businesses selling on Amazon’s online stores, Amazon Web Services developers and Kindle Direct Publishing authors.
Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk
The British Dental Association has urged the Scottish Government to provide a clear safety net to protect students, universities and the future of patient care, as questions emerge of whether Scotland’s dental schools will graduate classes in 2021.
The COVID pandemic has limited the clinical experience of many dental undergraduates. In an open letter to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman, and Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney the BDA has warned action is needed to minimise wide-ranging impacts on the future of education, training and the sustainability of the NHS workforce.
The union has warned against saddling undergraduates with unmanageable debt. Scottish dental students can already expect to graduate with over £34,000 debt. An additional year of study could push it to over £40,000.
Dentist leaders have stressed that any changes will have an impact not just on this year’s graduating class, but on the shape and size of the 2021 intake.
The BDA is now calling on the Scottish Government to support any undergraduates who are required to take additional periods of study via an emergency bursary, to offer appropriate support for dental schools covering tuition fees where appropriate, teaching grant and clinical placement funding, and ongoing support for the network of NHS trainers who take on trainees following graduation.
Any disruption will have a significant impact on patient access. Graduate dentists are typically given higher needs patients to maximise their clinical experience during their vocational training. Longer-term this disruption may also translate into fewer qualified dentists entering the NHS workforce in years to come. The BDA has stressed any inaction will make the huge backlog facing Scotland’s dental services even more difficult to clear.
David McColl, Chair, British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “What dental students across Scotland really need now is certainty. The Scottish Government must offer a safety net, which protects the next generation, supports our universities, and secures the future of patient care.
“Should these students be unable to graduate in 2021 it will have a serious impact on both the workforce and patients’ ability to access NHS services.
“The pipeline of health professionals should not be left at risk. We need to see a plan that guarantees graduates aren’t saddled with unmanageable debt, keeps schools viable, and ensures Scotland has the dentists it needs.”
All round support is key to digital skills-powered recovery, says new report
Equipping people with soft skills and tackling motivational barriers can switch them onto learning new digital skills, according to a new report.
The findings come in ‘Shocks, knocks and skill building blocks’, from leading digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation, following a one-year programme of work in partnership with Accenture and Nesta.
It highlights the need for help for people to learn soft skills, such as increased confidence, better decision-making and resilience to setbacks, to lay the foundations for workers to embrace digital skills and thrive.
The impact of COVID-19 on the jobs market is visible – and with unemployment forecast to hit 2.6 million by the middle of 2021 and digital skills more important and in-demand than ever, the findings offer a proven route to employability success.
The Future Proof: Skills for Work programme was designed to build work-related digital skills for unemployed or underemployed people, helping them achieve sustained employability outcomes.
With the global pandemic shaking the employment landscape to its core, the jobs market is a very competitive space where workers are required to be both digitally skilled and adaptable. Yet whilst 82% of roles require digital skills, 52% of working age adults do not yet have them.
Working with 13 community partners and helping over 900 people, the programme focused on understanding the barriers faced by learners – and how these can be overcome to help close the digital skills gap.
As a result of the programme, which was delivered remotely in communities after lockdown hit the UK last March, 70% of participants believe their digital skills have improved while 68% believe they are better prepared for employment.
The greatest change in attitude was around resilience in the face of challenges, with 27% of learners experiencing a positive change.
The project also saw a larger number of employed and higher-educated workers engaging with Good Things Foundation’s community partners and the Future Proof programme.
The new report also:
Highlights the crucial role of hyperlocal community organisations, arguing they are best placed to help people build confidence and learn digital skills simultaneously.
Calls for a move away from a tick-list approach to skills – including digital – to one that instead accommodates natural changes and fluctuations.
Helen Milner, Chief Executive of Good Things Foundation, said: “Working with Accenture, Nesta and our community partners, Future Proof has been ahead of the curve in terms of predicting new audience demand, skills and motivations and helping people gain digital skills alongside greater confidence and broader skills.
“Remote working due to COVID-19 has changed working patterns permanently. This makes upskilling the workforce even more vital. With the UK in the grips of another national lockdown and nine million adults unable to use the internet without help, the Government needs to demonstrate a strong commitment to fix the digital divide, to support economic recovery.”
Camilla Drejer, Director of UK & Ireland Corporate Citizenship at Accenture said: “At Accenture, we recognise how critical it is to support people in building new skills. This programme is not just helping people learn the digital skills needed today but also motivating participants to commit to life-long learning and develop a confidence about the opportunities that the digital economy brings.
“Through the Future Proof programme, we are pleased to have been able to help participants understand this shift, plan for the future and take charge of their careers. We believe that it is our duty as a responsible business to focus on the value we can create and this programme is an important aspect of that.”
Education expert welcomes new help but says inevitable rush by schools to access what’s on offer will slow delivery
The UK Government’s last-minute decision to close schools to the vast majority of children has again highlighted the so-called digital divide – the large number of homes where there are insufficient digital devices for pupils to work on – or no broadband connection at all.
About 9% of children in the UK – between 1.1 million and 1.8 million – do not have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home, according to Ofcom. More than 880,000 of them live in a household with only a mobile internet connection.
But pupils in England who have no access to laptops have now been designated ‘vulnerable’, the Department for Education has said, meaning that they can continue to attend school for face-to-face learning during lockdown.
And Three UK, which has an 11% market share of mobile subscriptions in the UK, said on Tuesday that it would provide unlimited data upgrades to disadvantaged schoolchildren in England until the end of the school year in July, amid pressure on others to do the same.
There is an existing DfE scheme for disadvantaged children who do not have access to a home broadband connection to temporarily increase their mobile data allowance. Schools, trusts and local authorities need to request the support on a pupil’s behalf.
As for the tablets themselves, the Department for Education says it had delivered more than 560,000 devices to schools and councils in England between the start of the pandemic and the end of last year, though there have been widespread complaints from schools that the numbers promised have not arrived.
Ministers say they aim to have delivered a further 100,000 laptops and tablets to schools by the end of this week to help it reach its overall target of 1 million devices.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resources experts PlanBee, which has produced learning packs to help parents having to home-school their children, says: The government scheme looks pretty good – at least in theory.
‘In addition to laptops and tablets which schools and local authorities can order, they can also get 4G routers, apply for extra data allowances on parents’ mobile phones, and get their entire school set up on either Google or Microsoft’s virtual classroom learning platforms,’ he says.
He continued: ‘There’s training available for staff on distributing, setting up and using all the tech, too. The site says that once a school has registered that they are closed due to outbreak, or supporting a vulnerable child learning from home, they can get the tech delivered within two days of placing an order.’
But he warns that although the government technology offer is now better established than during the first lockdown, there are likely to be significant delays getting the technology into the hands of those who need it most: disadvantaged children.
‘It’s bad enough that learning is being interrupted for all pupils, as teachers scramble to prepare remote learning materials, but even worse is the fact that, once again, it’s the children in poorer families who will suffer for longer while they wait for laptops, tablets and 4G routers to arrive.’
He says that had the decision to close schools been made sooner, and more notice given, schools could have placed orders in time for the start of the new term.
‘Now, many primary schools and local authorities will all be applying for laptops at the same time; there are bound to be issues with delivery as a consequence.’
PlanBee’s Learn at Home Packs each contains eight lessons with teacher-led teaching input videos, parent-friendly friendly lesson plans, slideshow presentations and printable worksheets.
‘We hope these packs will take some of the pressure off parents who are new to home schooling. They’re designed specifically for mums and dads, so there’s no educational jargon. Educating your children at home can seem a pretty daunting prospect, but with these packs, we think we’re helping with the heavy lifting.’
He added: ‘We have kept the need for technology to an absolute minimum, but all education providers have to rely on it to some extent, even if it’s only to download PDF worksheets.
‘The Government needs to get the digital divide sorted – and fast.’
PlanBeehaveput alesson videosup online for FREE, so you can get a taste of what’s included in the packs. And there are lots of free teaching resources for parents here.
More employers across Edinburgh and the Lothians can now tap into funding to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for their staff through the Edinburgh College Flexible Workforce Development Fund.
For the first time, the fund will now be available for both levy payers and SMEs, across the private, public and third sectors.
Of this, an extra £4 million will be available to support SMEs through Edinburgh College – opening up new training and upskilling opportunities for SMEs.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “The announcement of this additional money by Scottish Government for the Flexible Workforce Development Fund is welcomed news for the college sector, and for SMEs across our region and the entire country.
“Since the inception of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, Edinburgh College has delivered first-class bespoke training and upskilling to organisations across a wide range of sectors which has led to incredible results and the establishment of long-term training and other business support partnerships.
“We are delighted that we can now extend this work to small and medium-sized businesses and we look forward to working with some of the most innovative and exciting firms Scotland has to offer, to provide bespoke training programmes to suit their needs, at a time when workforce training and development is crucial as the nation recovers from the current economic downturn.”
Business, Fair Work and Skills Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Opportunities for training are essential for both employers and employees, and in August we doubled funding for our Flexible Workforce Development Fund to £20 million for 2020/21 to ensure businesses across Scotland can continue to invest in their workforce.
“As this fund adapts and responds to the impacts of the pandemic, we will also see the introduction of additional delivery partners including the Open University in Scotland and private training providers for employers who require more specialist training.
“By strengthening and upskilling the existing workforce, in partnership with colleges, we can retain jobs and support employers as they pivot and adapt to a new and very different working environment as a result of the pandemic.”
Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “This new funding could help many Scottish smaller businesses, and their staff teams, navigate the current crisis and ensure they’re prepared to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.
“FSB has been making the case to open up this cash pot to local firms, and we’d encourage all sorts of smaller operators to investigate how to access this support to build their business and develop their employees.”
The Flexible Workforce Development Fund helps businesses continue to invest in their workforce, and business support and is available for all of Scotland’s employers who are subject to the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy.
In August, the Scottish Government announced immediate investment in jobs to provide the foundations for a strong economic recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19).
As part of this, the fund, which is now in its fourth year, was doubled to £20m for 2020/21.
Edinburgh College is providing businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians an opportunity to access training aimed at promoting positive mental health among all employees.
Recent research conducted by the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), published last week, shows that 50% of people with mental health problems have reported their mental health has been worse in the last few weeks than at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
And while this statistic cannot be solely attributed to the isolation caused by the mass shift to home and remote working, employers do have a responsibility to ensure their teams have a work environment which is healthy for all.
Indeed, a recent study carried out in the United States by FlexJobs and Mental Health America (MHA) found that 75% of workers have experienced burnout in 2020, with 40% citing it as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic with ongoing remote working appearing to be a contributing factor.
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is utilising financial support from the Scottish Government to offer free Mental Health and Resilience courses to businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians to support their employees’ mental health – both inside and outside of the workplace.
Through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, staff of all levels from firms of varying sizes can participate in courses including: Mental Health Awareness; Mental Health for Managers; Building Resilience; Understanding Depression and Anxiety, among many others. Bespoke training packages comprising elements from various courses can also be created to meet clients’ needs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these courses would have been delivered on campus or at client offices, however the College’s Training and Development team has adapted to deliver courses via Zoom and Microsoft Teams – following the launch of its Virtual Professional Training Prospectus.
Edinburgh College has delivered 200 mental health training sessions in 2020. Since the start of term 2020/21 – August 2020 – 765 students have enrolled on mental health courses.
Edinburgh College Head of Commercial Jane Grant said: “Positive mental health is vital in all settings, including the workplace.
“Our team of expert trainers and lecturers are here to deliver training to support employers and employees in maintaining positive mental health across the organisation, particularly in the current times where teams and individuals are working in new and remote circumstances.”
Find out more about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is holding an event to showcase the free training and development opportunities available to thousands of businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The virtual event will give businesses an introduction to the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) – a fund which apprenticeship levy-paying businesses across the public, private and third sectors, can access to secure a wide range of training courses to help them to upskill and reskill their staff.
The event, which is taking place online via Zoom, is being held on Tuesday 1 December 2020 from 8.30-9.15am.
The College’s Training and Development team will deliver a short presentation on the fund before engaging in a question and answer session. Delegates will also hear from Kelly Cunningham of East Lothian Care and Accommodation Project (ELCAP) who will talk about her experience of utilising the FWDF to upskill and reskill her team.
Through the FWDF, businesses can apply for varying levels of funding towards training for their employees – up to £15k for apprenticeship levy-payers, and up to £5k for SMEs. This funding can be used by businesses of all different types.
Register your place for the Virtual Flexible Workforce Development Fund event here:
A new course to support locals who want to make North Edinburgh stronger launches next month
‘So, What Now?’ a new course to support locals who want to make North Edinburgh stronger launches in November.
Firstport, Scotland’s support agency for start-up social enterprises, has launched a new workshop series ‘So, What Now?’ as part of their What If… North Edinburgh Programme.
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on communities big and small, and this course is designed to tackle those concerns arising out of the pandemic, as well as existing ones, and provide an opportunity for people to plan for the future.
The six-week workshop series will help individuals identify actions to take to help their local community and develop the skills to get these ideas up and running.
Starting on the 2nd November 2020, the ‘So, What Now?’ group will meet weekly to discuss concerns, take part in upskilling sessions, and access tailored training to support their ideas. Participants will finish the course with the skills and knowledge to get their ideas off to the best possible start.
The course will be run by the What If… North Edinburgh manager, Julie Smith, who already lives and works locally to the North Edinburgh Area to support individuals and groups starting community focused projects and businesses.
Julie Smith, workshop lead, said: “It can be difficult to talk about hope when we are in the middle of a pandemic – but throughout this time we have seen how people power makes a difference.
“The course we’re running – So, What Now? – is designed to provide space and opportunity for people to meet, share their experiences with each other and explore the possibilities for creating new ways of solving old problems in the community. It is about travelling hopefully towards the future, embracing opportunities to develop as a person, a group, and a community.
“The course is really for anyone who wants to get involved in their community, people who have ideas about developing projects or businesses but are not sure what to do, and those who would like space and time to think about what they want to do in the future.”
The workshop series is open to anyone living or working in North Edinburgh, particularly individuals passionate about social concerns in the area, with insight into what needs to be changed, and looking for inspiration and support to make a positive difference in the community.
An information session will take place between 10.00am-11.30am on Wednesday 28th October for anyone interested in finding out more.
This course will be held digitally; however, it will be as interactive as possible. Anyone requiring assistance to take part in the course is encouraged to get in touch with What if North Edinburgh so they can support their request.
Projects that will boost the physical and mental health of young Scots are amongst those sharing in £732,323 of dormant bank accounts funding announced on Thursday.
Ten projects, run for and by young people, are celebrating the cash from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Young Start fund.
One of them is Edinburgh’s Capital City Partnership, who receive £62, 500. The city council’s arms-length employability agency will use their Young Start funding to work with ‘young people in Edinburgh at high risk of unemployment’ who will be supported by a dedicated Employment Advocacy worker. The project will work with twenty young people and will also offer two volunteering opportunities.
The Young Start funding will remove barriers to sport and physical activity for young disabled Scots like racerunner athlete Wiktoria Mucha following a grant of £66,000 to local charity,PHSYICAL.
Wiktoria Mucha, 18, from Blairgowrie has cerebral palsy and is a member of Perth Strathtay Harriers which is one of the many partner organisations and sports clubs that PHYSICAL will work with as part of their Young Start funded ‘Positive Beginnings’ project.
Over the next three years hundreds of young people from Perth & Kinross will be able to access coaching opportunities, accredited courses, volunteering opportunities, one to one mentoring and peer support.
Welcoming the news Wiktoria said: “I enjoy race-running as it improves your overall fitness and emotional well-being. I’m looking forward to taking part in Positive Beginnings as I think it will help me with my confidence by meeting other people and learning new skills.”
PHYSICAL trustee Jim Hunter added: “This Young Start grant will allow us to evolve and grow our ‘Positive Beginnings’ programme. Young disabled people, like Wiktoria, will be at the centre of this process and involved throughout.
“It will help each young person develop lifelong skills and knowledge through the platform of sport and physical activity. This cash boost goes a long way to help us reach the financial target for this project.”
Meanwhile, Dundee Football Club in the Community Trust receives £95,624 to help build the confidence, skills and future employment prospects of young people aged between 15 and 24.
The project will create a safe space for young people to access work placements and further education opportunities whilst using their local knowledge to plan and deliver activities for their communities.
Over two years, it will support 45 young people who will create, design and benefit from the programme.
Welcoming the news, Greg Fenton, Community Manager, Dundee FC In The Community Trust, said: “We are delighted with the news of our Young Start grant, which will help us achieve what we set out as a charity to Deliver Change and Transform Lives in our community.
“This project will give young people a fantastic chance in life and, working with our team and partners, this will increase their positive life chances and support them into further education and/or employment.
“The Trust have guaranteed to employ some of the young people on full time and part time contracts from the programme for a full year, so they can give back to their community whilst transforming their lives and the lives of other young people.”
Young Start awards dormant bank and building society cash to youth-led projects across Scotland and is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.
The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “At a time when young people are understandably concerned about their futures, it’s great to see that today’s Young Start funding will provide access to accredited courses, volunteering and training opportunities.
“This in turn will help to grow the confidence of many young people like Wiktoria who will lead from the front and realise their full potential.”
Groups wanting to know more about Young Start, and how it can support them during these unprecedented times should telephone 0141 846 0447 or visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/youngstart
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed a new £60million Youth Guarantee announced in the Programme for Government, which guarantees everyone in Edinburgh aged 16-24, a job, a place in education or a place in training.
The new partnership between the Scottish Government and Scotland’s employers is backed by £60 million of government investment, which will be broken down as follows:
£30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
£10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
£10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
£10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships
This autumn, the Scottish Government will also launch the National Transition Training Fund, which is backed by initial funding of £25 million and will help up to 10,000 people of all ages retrain for jobs in growth sectors.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald,said: “Governments have rightly taken unprecedented steps to protect workers and businesses through this pandemic, but it’s vital that young people are not left behind.
“This SNP government is absolutely determined that youth unemployment will not become the legacy of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The new £60 million Youth Guarantee, announced in the First Minister’s Programme for Government, will guarantee every young person inEdinburgh aged 16-24 a job, a place in training, or a place in education.
“This is backed by additional funding for employers to recruit and retain apprentices, and the new Job Start Payment to help with the costs associated with starting a new job.
“I urge all employers who are able, to work with the Scottish Government to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy.
“These steps to support for those most adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are most welcome, and the SNP will continue to work to ensure every young person in our capital is given the opportunity to succeed”
