Young Person’s Guarantee

10 March 2021 at 11:25:31

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Accredited Skills and Training department is working alongside the Scottish Government to help deliver the Young Person's Guarantee.

Young Person's Guarantee was launched in November 2020 to protect young people from the economic impact of COVID-19. It covers a range of employability services and aims within 2 years to give all young people, aged 16-24 in Scotland, the chance to succeed through the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, education, training or volunteering.

Apprenticeship Manager, Dolina Smith said: "The Accredited Skills and Training Team prioritise getting young people in the Western Isles into education and full-time employment. The additional employment opportunities and support offered to young people by the Young Person's Guarantee is very much welcome. I look forward to working alongside the Scottish Government in the implementation of the YPG and am confident that it can make a real difference to the young people that the Comhairle engage with.

CNES Chair of Education, Skills and Children's Services, Cllr Paul Steele, said: "We must recognise the difficult circumstances that young people in the Western Isles have faced over the last year and work to ensure that they are given a fair opportunity to succeed to their full potential. The aims of the Young Person's Guarantee cannot simply remain an ambitious target, they must become a reality. Our young people are our future and it is vital that that they can live, work, learn and achieve all they want here in the Western Isles."

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "Since November our £60 million Young Person's Guarantee has created around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work, education or training.

"Our local partnership programmes play a crucial role delivering many of these - that's why we have dedicated £30 million to support Local Authorities to take this work forward.

"There are already a range of interventions being delivered locally, including mental health support for young people on employability programmes. Many Local Authorities are also providing employer recruitment incentives to create more jobs, and crucially, apprenticeships. There is also enhanced wrap around support for those who are about to commence their Kickstart opportunities.

"We know our young people are some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. To ensure they can all get access to the opportunities and support they need we have recently announced - in addition to our ongoing investment in education, learning, skills, apprenticeships and employability programmes - a further £70 million for our Young Person's Guarantee."