Helping young people towards employment

27th May 2013

A pioneering scheme to help vulnerable 16 to 19 year olds into employment, training or education is delivering for more than 1,800 young people.

Activity Agreements aim to prepare individuals for more formal courses and form part of range of actions being taken across Scotland to support more young people into employment.

With all 32 councils now taking part, 70 per cent of the 2,617 young people who took part in 2012-13, have moved into a mixture of jobs, college or training programmes. Research also carried out by YouthLink Scotland shows that 79 per cent of young people surveyed have sustained their progression beyond six months.

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance said:“Activity Agreements exist to help some of our most vulnerable young people improve their job prospects. By working with local authorities, YouthLink Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, 16 to 19 year olds are able to take firm steps towards employment.

“Not only am I very pleased that all councils now offer activity agreements, but the rate of young people moving onto fresh, positive opportunities clearly shows that they are working. Taking a place in college or embarking on a training programme can transform the life of a young person and I want to see Activity Agreements continue to deliver for the most vulnerable teenagers in Scotland for years to come.

“Recent figures show that youth employment in Scotland has been moving in the right direction over the last six months. However there will be no let up from the Scottish Government. Our offer of a place in training or education for all 16 to 19 year olds remains in place, we are delivering at least 25,000 Modern Apprentice starts every year and investing in training for young people through the Employability Fund. Activity Agreements are an important part of our action to support even more young people towards and into employment.”

An example of how Activity Agreements can work in practice is as follows:

Leigh took part in an Activity Agreement for 14 weeks at the start of the year. As a young person who had recently left care, she was in temporary accommodation of her own. Leigh's Activity Agreement consisted of literacy, numeracy and life skills, financial literacies, positive mental attitudes and a community project. In Leigh's time on an Activity Agreement, she achieved a Bronze Youth Achievement Awards, as well as a John Muir Award. Leigh progressed to a Modern Apprenticeship within a library.

Over the last two years local authority partners, have been designing a package of support for the most vulnerable young people, to help them towards employment. This support, through Activity Agreements, is delivering for vulnerable young people across Scotland’s. Previously piloted in ten local authority areas between 2009 and 2011, Activity Agreements are now being offered to young people across the country.

Figures show that the majority of young people on an Activity Agreement have a qualification below SCQF level 4, with almost 40 per cent having no qualifications. Many have additional support needs, a history of offending, substance misuse problems or were previously looked after and accommodated.

The Scottish Government is providing funding of £3.5 million for Activity Agreements this year.