Welcome to the October 2019 edition of the Employability in Scotland e-bulletin

October has been a busy month for the Scottish Government Employability Team, as we head towards the cold winter season, we would like to share some of the highlights with you.

Fair Start Scotland Publications

The Fair Start Scotland Annual Report: Year 1 and Fair Start Scotland Evaluation Report 2: Overview of Year 1 have been published today. These reports highlight how the service has been making a difference to employers, communities and to people accessing the support that Fair Start Scotland offers.

They also outline some of the stories of people whose lives have changed as a result of being given the right support at the right time.

Please remember that we have a range of materials available which provide information about the service and that can be used by partners to generate awareness to people who may be eligible to participate – so please do contact us if you would like a supply. Alternatively, you can find these in the Fair Start Scotland toolkit on the Employability in Scotland website.

Living Wage Week

Living Wage Week will this year take place from Monday 11 November - Friday 15 November. There are lots of activities planned and you can find further information on the Living Wage Scotland website.

On Thursday 3 October, the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Scotland launched a new toolkit to help local areas become Living Wage Places, with support from Carnegie UK Trust.

This is aimed at businesses and communities that are interested in developing a place-based approach to increasing the number of people earning a real Living Wage, and tackling in-work poverty.

Scottish Business Pledge

Following a review in 2018, the Scottish Business Pledge has been refreshed along with a new look website. The reinvigorated Business Pledge has been restructured to better support businesses seeking to make a Business Pledge commitment.

Key changes include the introduction of new elements and a new menu-based approach designed to help businesses tailor their Business Pledge by selecting those elements that work best for their business.

The Business Pledge now features three core elements: payment of the real Living Wage, action to address gender pay gap (proportionate to the size of the company), and no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.

Further details regarding the Business Pledge can be found by visiting the new look Business Pledge website.

Developing the Young Workforce Silver Award

On Friday 11 October 2019, the World Future Council revealed that Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) was among the policies selected to receive a silver award in what it dubs ‘the Oscar for best policies’ for empowering youth at a ceremony in Geneva on 16 October.

Further details on DYW and the award win can be found in the Scottish Government Education blog.

Marie

Adult Learning Survey

We would like to invite adults in Scotland to complete an adult learning survey to tell us about where they learn, why they learn, when they learn and how their learning experience could be improved. This information will then be used to develop the adult learning strategy for Scotland.

This survey is being conducted by the Scottish Government in partnership with Education Scotland and the CLD Standards Council.

The survey is now live and will remain open until the end of November.

Workplace Equality Fund

The Minister for Business, Fair Work & Skills launched the start of projects under the new expanded Workplace Equality Fund 2019/20 on Wednesday 9 October 2019.

A total of 22 projects will receive £800,000 of funding to help address labour market inequalities and help overcome long standing and systemic issues with recruitment practices and progression in the workplace.

Out of School Care Consultation

A national consultation on the draft framework for Out of School Care in Scotland has been launched by the Scottish Government and will run until the 6th December 2019.

To find out more and to take part in the consultation visit: Out of School Care Consultation.

Skills Scotland Events

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is supporting Skills Scotland shows taking place in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh during November.

The events are free to attend and are to help young people understand all the pathways available to them, whether that’s further or higher education or just straight into the world of work through routes like apprenticeships.

There will also be early-evening sessions for parents, carers and teachers at each location, to find out more about the opportunities available to young people.

A team of SDS staff will be on-hand to provide information and support about career pathways to help pupils plan their future.

To find out more or to book a place at one of the events, visit Skills Scotland.

Remember to follow us on @employinscot

You can view all current consultations from the Scottish Government online.