We’re supporting Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022, co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, to show the value of Scottish Apprenticeships to people, business and the economy.

This year’s theme is Apprenticeships Work, which aims to highlight how apprenticeships are providing the skills employers need now and for the future.

Developed in partnership with employers, apprenticeships continue to adapt to respond to industry needs. Scottish Apprenticeships work by providing thousands of opportunities to get a job, get paid and get qualified across Scotland every year.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships in Scotland. It is providing opportunities and support for people and businesses through apprenticeships to help strengthen the economy.

Scottish Apprenticeships are a crucial part of the Young Person's Guarantee, providing thousands of opportunities for young people affected by the pandemic. Apprenticeships can help to drive equity of opportunity and give employers the tools and support to be inclusive in recruitment.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a time to show that apprenticeships provide opportunities that work for everyone. To find out more about how Scottish Apprenticeships work and how to get involved visit apprenticeships.scot

#ScotAppWeek22

As the staff team at Glenmorangie's production site in Livingston continues to grow and diversify, The Glenmorangie Company were determined to place a focus on maintaining a positive and supportive workplace culture for new apprentices entering the business. Working in partnership with DYW and Get the Gen, a series of Intergenerational Workshops were delivered to the Production Team as part of Glenmorangie's Development Week.

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Pupils from the Inclusion and Support Service (ISS) were delighted to go on a site visit to the Five Sisters Zoo, where they had the opportunity to spend time with both the Head of Education and one of the Zookeepers. With an interest in the animal care and conservation sectors, the pupils gained a valuable insight into the zoological industry and were able to link their learning to their National Biology qualifications.

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Working in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (citb) and Re:Markable, the DYW West Lothian Team hosted an employer webinar for construction employers, aimed at raising awareness of the Young Person's Guarantee.

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Scotland’s Biggest Parents’ Events (SBPE) allow parents, carers and guardians to hear about the things ​that matter to them right now.

This year, SBPE features a National Launch Event, taking place on Monday 15th November at 7pm, along with a series of more local events and activities across the rest of the week and social media activity.
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The SBPE National Launch Event features key information which over 880 parents, carers and guardians in Scotland told us was important to them. This includes information about Careers, Jobs, Pathways, Skills and Scotland's Young Person's Guarantee. The event also has a focus on young people with additional support needs through our partner Enable Scotland.

We aim to deliver some key messages about jobs and skills of the future and how employers and wider partners are involved in guaranteeing our young people in Scotland a positive step after school. We will feature information on the Scottish Careers Service with our partners Skills Development Scotland and you will hear about how Developing the Young Workforce is bringing the curriculum to life through employer experiences in schools. All of this in a jam packed 30 minute video!

The SBPE National Launch Event is being played through DYW social media channels. Click the button below to book your space, which will allow you to access the link and watch either on the night or at a time that works for you. ​

SBPE 2021 coincides with Skills Development Scotland’s first ever ‘Scottish Careers Week’ and SBPE is one of the DYW network's activities throughout that week. Through a range of events, activities and resources, Scottish Careers Week will help people of all ages manage their career choices, by raising awareness of a wide range of support that’s available in Scotland. For further information on Scottish Careers Week, including how to get involved, please access the toolkit via the link below.

While you enjoy the summer and a well-deserved break from your studies we wanted to write to you in our role as Scotland’s business leaders and on behalf of our networks of thousands of Scottish employers.

​As you receive your official SQA results, we want to reassure you that we recognise and value your qualifications as much as any other year. We congratulate you on everything you’ve overcome and achieved this year, and you have our support, whatever your needs and wherever your ambitions lie.
 
Over the past 18 months you’ve had to deal with a situation like no other and the flexibility, ingenuity and resilience you’ve shown gives us confidence in you as future employees.
 
We are committed to helping to create job opportunities for you so that you can have a positive future. We are also committed to ensuring that there are opportunities available for every young person and that you have help and support to develop further.
 
Many people in interesting job roles across Scotland may not have taken an obvious or traditional path. Look out for #NoWrongPath which will show you that, whatever your results, there are different routes into jobs. There are lots of industries continuing to grow and new ones emerging which offer exciting opportunities. Employers need young people with fresh ideas and experience to get involved and work together with us to tackle big challenges, such as climate change. We will do all that we can to help you find ways to use your skills and talents in the workplace.
 
We all support the ambition of the Young Person’s Guarantee and its commitment that within two years, every young person aged between 16 and 24, will have the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering. And we’ll keep speaking to young people across Scotland to understand how we can keep delivering on our commitment to you.
 
Wishing you the very best of luck with your next steps. Scotland’s employers stand ready to support you. This is our #CommitmentToYOUth.

​#NoWrongPath is back and, in a year with significant disruption to education, the messaging of the campaign is more important than ever.

Now in its fifth year, #NoWrongPath is a social media movement created by Developing the Young Workforce which provides inspiration and reassurance to young people on results day. We recognise that some young people may feel disheartened by their results this year and we want to highlight that exam results are not necessarily the key to unlocking future success.

Developing the Young Workforce is inviting businesses, organisations and professionals from all over Scotland to help share this message of reassurance, to help educate young people about the options that are available to them and to demonstrate that there is #NoWrongPath to success. Make sure your industry is represented by getting involved on social media this Exam Results Day (Tuesday 10 August 2021).

For information on how you can get involved, click below or contact anna.ramsay@dyw-wl.com

As part of Scotland’s response to COVID-19 economic recovery, the Young Person’s Guarantee was launched in November 2020. It aims 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.

For employers, it offers help to develop a future pipeline of skills and experience, with young people at the heart of the workforce. Young people bring organisations a wealth of talent, creativity, and enthusiasm, critical now and for future success.

Employers of all sizes and across all sectors can get involved with the Young Person’s Guarantee in up to 5 ways:

• Prepare young people for the world of work
• Create opportunities for young people who face the greatest barriers to work
• Invest in a skilled workforce through apprenticeships, training and upskilling opportunities
• Create jobs and opportunities suitable for 16-24 year olds
• Ensure a work environment which supports all young people and provides fair work

Whether you currently provide opportunities for young people, or you would like to start getting involved, there are options and support available.

More information about the Guarantee can be found by following the link below, or contact info@dyw-wl.com for an initial discussion with a member of the DYW West Lothian Team.

Providing impactful activities and input into local communities has always been important to businesses within the construction industry. Building relationships between business and education provides a way for businesses to forge powerful partnerships that will support and influence young people and their influencers to consider choosing a career in this industry.

Build Your Future has been developed by key partners across the supply chain within the Built Environment as a response to Covid restrictions challenging the way business and education have previously engaged. 

Launching the week of the 1st March 2021 to coincide with Scottish Apprenticeship Week and in support of International Women's Day which is annually celebrated on 8th March, this virtual resource is complementary to the 'Your Year, Your Career 21' (formerly 'New Year, First Career') resources.

Career insight, including films and resources, will be hosted on the DYW Scot website, available and relevant to a national audience. Alongside these resources, a toolkit for educators and parents provides guidance on how local content can add value to the national offering, this can be facilitated by schools and/or their DYW Regional Group. This toolkit can also be used by School Career, Advice & Guidance Advisors as well as parents when supporting young people to make informed decisions relating to options and choices or next steps, post school.

With contributions from over 40 partners including the Scottish Traditional Building Forum, CITB, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, Scottish Building Standards, Scottish Futures Trust and Historic Environment Scotland amongst other industry contributors, this has been supported by DYW Forth Valley and STEM Development Officer for Stirling Council, Jayne Hamilton, to move to a virtual mode of delivery that will support the continued exposure to industry pathways and opportunities alongside the core learning taking place in schools.

We’re supporting Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021, co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, to demonstrate the value apprenticeships bring to individuals, employers and the economy.

This year’s theme is Business Backing Talent, which aims to demonstrate how businesses benefit when they back talent through apprenticeships.

Businesses have adapted to challenging times. Employers and learning providers have innovated in order that apprentices can learn, achieve and progress, and businesses taking on apprentices have developed new and safe ways to recruit in their commitment to backing talent.

The week highlights both the range of support available to employers to help them take on an apprentice, as well as the opportunities for individuals to progress through Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.

Scottish Apprenticeships support the Young Person's Guarantee, introduced by Scottish Government to ensure that everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training.

For businesses who can give someone the chance of an apprenticeship, there's more support than ever before.

• The Apprentice Employer Grant provides up to £5000 to recruit an apprentice
• There’s additional funding to take on a redundant apprentice through Adopt an Apprentice
• Pathway Apprenticeships are available for school leavers not in a job or education to gain work-based learning and qualifications in sectors with skills needs

In these challenging times, apprentices can play a vital role in supporting businesses and the economy now and for the future.

Find out more about Scottish Apprenticeships and the support available to get involved at apprenticeships.scot

#ScotAppWeek21

Would you like to be paid to gain skills and real work experience in a growing, thriving industry sector?

Would you like to get a recognised apprenticeship qualification which can help you progress into a job or higher level studies at college or university?

If the answer is yes then a Pathway Foundation Apprenticeship could be the way forward for you!

Programmes start at West Lothian College in January 2021 with a choice between Childcare, Business or Software Engineering.

This fast-track apprenticeship lasts for 6 months and is 50% in College and 50% work-based. Attendance is a minimum of 4 to 5 days each week.

When you successfully complete you will have a Foundation Apprenticeship Certificate in your chosen subject. Foundation Apprenticeships open doors to Employment, Modern Apprenticeships, Graduate Apprenticeships, and higher level study at college or university.

An attendance allowance of at least £100 per week is payable to all Pathway Foundation Apprentices. It is possible to combine this course with a Kickstart Placement and those participants who are also taking part in the UK Government Kickstart Scheme will instead receive a higher rate of the National Minimum Wage for the work based element of the programme.

The Pathway Foundation Apprenticeships are at SCQF Level 6 so all applicants must be prepared and capable of study at that level.

Eligible applicants for Pathway Foundation Apprenticeships should be aged 16-18 at the start of the programme. Those combining a Pathway Foundation Apprenticeship with a Kickstart placement can be up to 24 years old.

Places are limited so contact West Lothian College now by email to register your interest.
Email Daniel Evans: devans@west-lothian.ac.uk or call 01506 427557. Please leave your name, date of birth, preferred subject and contact details.

Further information:

About Foundation Apprenticeships: https://www.west-lothian.ac.uk/foundation-apprenticeships/foundation-apprenticeships/
About Kickstart: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

Coming soon: Pathway Apprenticeship in Engineering at SCQF L5: 9 month course starting March 2021!

Due to the challenges of Covid-19, school pupils from this academic session will be less likely to be able to engage face-to-face with employers to learn about career pathways, skills, and roles within industry where normally they would often partake in live careers events within their school settings.  

Nationally, Developing the Young Workforce are hosting a Virtual Careers Fair for S1s, S2s and S3s across Scotland in January 2021.  We have sourced a range of resources for educators to be able to use within their classrooms or for young people and parents at home to learn about the world of work. 
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The Virtual Careers Fairs will be launched w/c 25th January 2021 and will focus on the three industries in the first instance: 

• Tasty Careers


• Energising Careers


• Healthy Careers  

Aims:

• To raise awareness of the diversity of careers in the food & drink, healthcare and energy sectors and how to access them
  
  
• To enable young people to think about their subject choices in relation to pathways and make informed decisions

 

• To showcase desirable skills to the industry and how young people can develop themselves
  
  
• To support educators and parents to understand how to support their young people on their journeys

Please click below to find out more information and to access the resources.

The first organisations to back the £60 million Young Person’s Guarantee have been announced by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop. 

In a collective effort to help young people, the Scottish Government has been joined by SSE, Capgemini, NHS Lothian, Scottish Water and Standard Life Aberdeen in the commitment to ensure everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training.

The Guarantee aims to give all young people in Scotland the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Organisations backing the Guarantee make five pledges to help young people at this critical time:

• prepare young people for the world of work through work experience, volunteering and work-based learning opportunities

 

• engage with and provide opportunities to young people who face barriers to work

 

• create work-based learning, training and upskilling opportunities for young people

 

• create jobs and opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, paid internships and work experience

 

• create an inclusive workplace to support learning and enable young people to meet their potential

 
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:

“The pandemic is having a disproportionate economic effect on our young people, reducing job opportunities just as they are starting out on their careers. I am delighted to be launching the Young Person’s Guarantee today to help ensure their prospects are not permanently damaged.

I want to thank the early trailblazers who have backed our ambitious initiative and recognise the importance of supporting our young people.

The leadership of employers from across Scotland and from all sectors will be key in providing the opportunities that will make this Guarantee a success.  This employer leadership will build on our strong track record of tackling youth unemployment through our industry led Youth Employment Strategy – Developing the Young Workforce. 
 
We are encouraging employers to come forward and join what is a crucial intervention to ensure that we capture the potential of our young people and prevent coronavirus (COVID-19) leaving a lasting impact on the employment opportunities of our future workforce.

I want Scotland’s young people to know we are right behind you, we want you to be successful and we will do everything we can to give you the opportunities you need.”
 
Sandy Begbie, who led the Edinburgh Guarantee, said:

“In the spring, I was delighted to be asked to develop a strategy to establish a Young Person Guarantee for all 16 to 24-year-olds in Scotland.  The ambition is clear; I want every one person who is unemployed to be given an opportunity for a job, apprenticeship, education, training or volunteering.  I strongly believe we must act now and decisively, our young people are an asset and a credit to Scotland.”
 
Background:

Further information on the Young Person’s Guarantee is available on the www.youngpersonsguarantee.scot website.

The Young Person’s Guarantee was one of the main recommendations of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery.

The £60 million Young Person’s Guarantee is part of a total of £100 million for employment support and training announced by the Scottish Government to tackle employment challenges. £10 million of this will be used to support a range of measures to recruit and retain apprentices.

The 21 Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Regional Groups are preparing to launch an equalities focused social media campaign and week of events across Scotland during the week beginning Monday 16th November 2020. The campaign - aimed at employers, parents and young people - aims to demonstrate the range of support available for young job seekers and employers.

Throughout the week, we will be using #ajobforeverybody to share stories and experiences which promote, illustrate and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The campaign activities also aim to raise employer awareness of the many support organisations in their region who are able to provide advice and support in relation to recruitment.
 
The week will also see a series of events arranged by DYW Dumfries & Galloway, including a Live Event ‘Strengthening Diversity through Inclusion’, as well as several webisodes from the DWP featuring Disability Confident and the return of 'Play Your Cards Right!' with Sue Livermore, (from Dumfries & Galloway College) which was extremely well received last year. 

This year we are also introducing a new feature as part of the week - #myskillsmakeme.
 
Similar to our annual #NoWrongPath campaign, we have produced a simple visual template that people from all backgrounds will be able to download and use to highlight their skills and to think aspirationally about their career pathways.
 
This element is open to all ages, so that adults can also act as role models to the next generation. We are also encouraging schools in our area to get involved, with the hope of including pupils in the highlights. 
 
By looking beyond barriers, we want to show young people and individuals the importance of working on skills and attitude; we also want employers to see the emerging talent of our young people based on the skills they are developing. 

​Get Involved

Option 1 - download the relevant template and post this on social media w/c 16th November using #ajobforeverybody and #myskillsmakeme. Please tag us so we can share your post.

Option 2 - email anna.ramsay@dyw-wl.com to submit a case study with your #ajobforeverybody and #myskillsmakeme story.

An interactive maths programme from 3 Pillars Financial Planning (3PFP) provided Whitburn Academy pupils with fun activities, inspiration and career insights. This case study outlines how the programme was delivered to the S2 year group.

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In 2019, primary school pupils from four schools took part in the inaugural Circular Economy Challenge, which built on their enterprise skills whilst providing them with an insight into the circular economy.

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With an audience of over 70 people - made up of pupils from S1 to S6 and their families - the Inveralmond Community High School 'Apprenticeship Family Information Evening' increased awareness of learner pathways and the study options available for students during their time at the school.

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To ensure the continuation of existing partnerships with local schools during lockdown, Sky produced two interview skills videos to help young people continue to prepare for the world of work.

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Careers in investment can develop interpersonal skills, confidence, problem-solving powers and resilience. Thanks to areas like responsible and ethical investing, new entrants into the sector have the power to change the world around us for the better.

Learn more about how Future Asset - and their employer ambassadors - are working hard to encourage girls in the senior phase of high school to consider the world of investment.

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A crucial part of the DYW agenda is to give pupils the opportunity to find out what a real-life working environment is like. At the beginning of 2020, employers from a variety of industry sectors opened their doors to pupils from Connelly Primary School, providing a fantastic insight into the world of work.

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Creativity skills are essential for life, learning and for future jobs. Such skills are crucial for enterprise and work and are highly valued by employers. This case study outlines how Jupiter Artland’s 3D Sculpture Challenge harnessed the creativity of pupils in West Lothian.

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Through a series of workshops and practical exercises, our 'Great Home Economics Takeover Day' allowed hospitality businesses to showcase the wide variety of careers in this key industry.

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As apprenticeships continue to play a vital role in workforce planning, it is important to inform employers about the organisational benefits employing an apprentice can bring. Read more in our case study below.

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