THE head of Scotland’s first business-led group focused on getting more young people into work has today (Wednesday, November 11) set out ambitious targets.
These include doubling the number of North-east firms offering apprenticeships and establishing employer links with every secondary school in the region.
For the 12-month period up to the end of April this year, 2,324 apprentices began work across 776 businesses in the North-east.
Developing the Young Workforce North East Scotland (DYW NES) wants to see a 50% increase in both the number of apprentices and a 100% rise in the number of companies offering apprenticeships by 2018.
The primary aim of the initiative, established as a direct outcome of the Wood Commission’s ‘Education Working for All’ recommendations, is to significantly improve the employment prospects for young people in the north-east.
It has also set targets for long term partnerships to be fostered between employers and all 46 secondary schools in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire by increasing the number of businesses offering work inspiration activities to schools by 100%.
Amanda Boyle, project director of DYW NES, is calling on employers across all sectors to get involved in supporting the initiative which marks the first time industry has led preparing young people for successful employment.
“The North-east of Scotland has, historically, outperformed the Scottish economy across a range of metrics but it is not immune to disproportionately higher levels of unemployment, as much as double the prevailing rate among young people aged 16-24,” she said.
“We have a large percentage of employers across multiple sectors facing skills gaps, especially amongst firms who are experiencing rapid expansion and believe that taking on an apprentice would be too time consuming opting to hire a more experienced but more costly employee instead.
“However, the return on investment for firms recruiting young people is extremely high. A study by the National Apprenticeship Service shows that 71% of apprentices remain with the same employer after completing their training, with 57% going on to hold management positions within the company.
“Therefore it is crucial that we develop a more strategic approach to workforce development and that starts with bridging the gaps between schools and industry. While there is a multitude of good practice with examples of excellence in schools and employer partnerships, too many have got out of the habit of employing young people.
“Preparing young people today means equipping them with the right skills and realistic expectations of the career opportunities open to them, and needs more employers to engage with and contribute to the education system.
Funded by the Scottish Government, DYW NES will develop a framework that will enable employers in the north-east to engage in the education system to develop work-ready young people. It will do this by bringing together a wide range of stakeholders including employers, North East Scotland College and the education and local authority economic development departments as well as a broad range of private, public and third sector companies.
At the time it was published, the Wood Commission stated that less than 30% of Scottish businesses have contact of any kind with schools, only 27% of employers offer work experience opportunities and just 29% of employers recruit directly from education, leaving one in five young people unsure of their future.
Ms Boyle added: “DYW NES has already achieved significant traction with strong support from major employers in the region but we need to build on this further in order to address the challenges of developing talent to meet demand.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for employers to create a better qualified, work-ready and motivated young workforce that benefits not just individual businesses but will contribute to our region’s economic prosperity for years to come.”