Supporting people into employment and equipping them with skills
they need will be at the heart of the economic recovery, backed
with £1.1 billion of investment under the proposed Scottish
Budget 2021-22.
Additional investment of £125 million will go towards the Young
Person’s Guarantee, the National Transition Training Fund and
other initiatives ensuring the future workforce has the skills
needed for a green recovery and supporting those at risk of long
term unemployment. This includes personalised employment support
and retraining for those who have been made unemployed or are at
risk of redundancy due to the pandemic.
Since November the Young Person’s Guarantee has provided funding
for around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24
to help them into work.
Other funding for 2021-22 includes:
- £230 million for Skills Development Scotland to deliver
training
- £100 million Green Jobs Fund to be delivered over the next
Parliament
- £27 million for national employability service Fair Start
Scotland
- £21 million towards Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships
- £5 million for Community Jobs Scotland to create job
opportunities for unemployed people aged 16 to 29
Economy Secretary said:
“The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted economies
throughout the world and while Scotland’s economy has performed
slightly better than the UK as a whole, the necessary
restrictions to suppress the virus are continuing to impact
economic activity.
“As well as providing emergency support to businesses to help
them through this crisis, it is vital that we plan for the
future. By providing our workforce with the support, skills and
experience needed to drive a green economic recovery, we will
ensure that our investment in a just transition protects and
creates jobs.
“The Young Person Guarantee has to go hand in hand with economic
recovery in Scotland. During this crisis we have taken action to
support our young people who have been some of the hardest hit by
the pandemic. This funding allows us to build on that success and
meet additional demand.
“It also provides opportunities for those already in employment
to upskill or retrain and supporting those who are further from
the labour market in partnership with local authorities, third
and private sectors to ensure no one is left behind.
“Underpinning everything will be our commitment to working in
partnership with employers to invest in workforce development,
create diverse and inclusive workplaces and pay people fairly for
the work they do.”
Background
The Young Person’s Guarantee
aims to give every young person the opportunity to study, take up
an apprenticeship, a job or work experience or participate in
formal volunteering within the next two years. £60 million was
allocated to support the Young Person’s Guarantee in 2020/21.
Information about the
18,000 opportunities the Young Person’s Guarantee has provided
funding for has been published.
