Focussing on support for youth jobs.
People looking for work or those at risk of redundancy will benefit from additional assistance to move into work or retrain.
The package of support, outlined by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop, is backed by £100 million for 2020/21, with at least £50 million of that funding set aside to help young people get into work.
The measures include a job guarantee for young people, a new national retraining scheme, and more funding to provide immediate assistance and advice if people are made redundant.
In addition, Fair Start Scotland, our employment support service, has been extended by a further two years to March 2023.
Ms Hyslop said:
“We are potentially facing unemployment on a scale not seen for decades as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Today’s announcements show that we are ready to rise to this challenge with investment to help ensure that people who have lost jobs, those at risk of unemployment and young people entering the labour market can benefit from more and better job opportunities.
“This crisis is having a significant impact on our young people and we need to act quickly to protect their future. I have asked Sandy Begbie, who led the Developing the Young Workforce Group that played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee to young people, to develop an implementation plan for a job guarantee for young people, as recommended by the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, and we will set out more detail on that plan in early August.
“The extension to Fair Start Scotland will also provide stability and continuity to the most vulnerable and those furthest from the labour market, including people with disabilities, health conditions and those who are long-term unemployed, to help them progress into work.”
Alison Henderson, CEO of Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce and Interim Chair of Dundee & Angus Developing the Young Workforce Group said:
"This is a critical package of support and is very much welcome. We are significantly concerned about the impact of job losses and hope that these measures will go a long way towards encouraging anyone impacted to look at retraining, seek assistance and cement their next step in the job market.
Making sure that employers can fill their vacancies, and that those entering the job market have a clear path to sustained employment is going to be a vital element in minimising the pandemic impact on our local economy and our communities. I look forward to understanding how the regional DYW Group can support the implementation."
Background
The £100 million is in addition to the £33 million already committed for employability support for 2020/21.
Extension to Fair Start Scotland
Fair Start Scotland launched in April 2018. Participants are entitled to up to 18 months pre-employment support and a further 12 months in-work support.
The 2020-21 budget for Fair Start Scotland delivery is £20.5 million, including monthly COVID-related financial support payments for providers who deliver the Fair Start Scotland support.
DYW Tay Cities
Developing the Young Workforce Tay Cities (DYW Tay Cities ) is one of several regional DYW groups across Scotland. We help implement the Scottish Government DYW strategy, which aims to reduce youth unemployment and help young people get the right skills and experiences to move from education into employment.
Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce
As the leading business membership organisation in Dundee & Angus and part of the worldwide long-established Chamber of Commerce brand, we help local businesses to connect, communicate and develop for business benefit.
