Prioritising Jobs And Skills

14th February 2021

Young people, those made redundant, and people who have been unemployed for a long time, will be able to access more support thanks to an additional £125 million from the Scottish Government.

Announced in the latest Budget, the funding will help people impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic access employment opportunities.

The £125 million includes:

£70 million for the Young Person's Guarantee - continuing to provide work, education or training for every 16 to 24-year-old across Scotland

£35 million for skills and retraining, including for the National Transition Training Fund, which supports people who are unemployed or at risk of redundancy due to COVID-19

£20 million for No One Left Behind - helping people who are long-term unemployed move towards and into work

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:"During this crisis we have taken action to support people who have been hit hardest by the pandemic and these initiatives are already making a real difference.

"Since November the 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. Meanwhile, the National Transition Training Fund is helping up to 10,000 people across Scotland who are unemployed or at risk of redundancy due to COVID-19 retrain and develop the skills they need to secure their future employment.

“This additional £125 million is just one strand of the Scottish Government’s proposed investment of over £1 billion for jobs and skills in our latest Budget. It will allow us to extend the reach of these key initiatives and help meet demand, building on our substantial existing investment in education, employability and skills and supporting a strong economic recovery for Scotland."