Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) North East has published its 2023/24 annual report, highlighting the growing amount of employer-led activity that is taking place in the region to inform and inspire young people.
The regional group, which is one of 20 in Scotland, recorded a 54% upswing in employers who are pledging support for the next generation via the Young Person’s Guarantee. The Young Person’s Guarantee is a Scottish Government initiative, which aims to connect every 16- to 24-year-old in Scotland to an opportunity. It acts as a catalyst for organisations to support young people by engaging with local schools, offering apprenticeships and other work-related programmes, and by ensuring that career-related opportunities are made available to all.
In 2023 DYW North East introduced an ambassador scheme with industry representatives from some of the region’s growth sectors. The scheme was created to extend the group’s reach and encourage more employers to support young people. Throughout the year the group also focused on closer collaboration with partners and the implementation of a more robust evaluation process to facilitate feedback from employers, educators, partners and young people.
Some of DYW North East’s new ambassadors with members of the team
Margo Milne, director, DYW North East said: “I am very proud of the progress that has been made over the reporting period. This has been achieved against a period of internal change, which saw us transition to a new operating model designed to improve the service we offer for employers, schools and partners.
“The results of these changes are already bearing fruit and I would like to thank our team, along with all our key stakeholders, for the volume and quality of activity that has been collectively delivered for our region’s young people.”
Highlights from the 2023/24 report include:
- Over 900 employer-led activities delivered in schools, representing a 42% increase on the previous year
- 74 new Young Person’s Guarantee pledge partners
- Increases in the number of employers being signposted to local apprenticeship providers and other specialist partners.
The impact of this activity was significant. 79% of young people said that employer-led activities had improved their knowledge of the world of work, while 95% of teachers said that employer-led activities raised awareness and motivation among pupils to support positive outcomes.
Read the full 2023/24 report here.