November 2016 edition of the Employability in Scotland e-bulletin

Welcome by Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Employability and Training

I am delighted to contribute to the November edition of the e-bulletin and share with you the activity that is underway as we develop new employment support services in Scotland.

Last week, at the Ministerial Summit on Employability, I outlined the substantial progress we are making towards delivering transitional services from 1 April 2017. I was pleased to announce that Scottish Ministers have now awarded one year contracts to Momentum Skills, Shaw Trust, and Remploy, for delivery of Work First Scotland - part of the transitional service operating from the 1st April 2017, delivering tailored employment support and advice for up to 3,300 people with disabilities, including pre-work and in-work support.  This service, along with the arrangements that will be provided through Work Able Scotland will ensure continuity of support for those who need most help to find and sustain work.

This is a significant step towards the full Scottish programme of employment support starting in April 2018.

I believe our programmes will work better if we treat people as individuals and with dignity and respect.  That is why Scottish Ministers have decided that people should take part in our employment support programmes on a voluntary basis. I am pleased to be able to say that the UK Government has confirmed that the Department for Work and Pensions will also make referrals to devolved employment programmes on a voluntary basis, meaning that a benefit sanction would not be applied for failure to attend or participate. This will be a great relief to people who have had to cope with this unnecessary stress and harm in the past.

As we move into the delivery stage of devolved employment support services, keeping consultation, engagement and partnership working at the forefront of policy thinking is a strength I want to retain.

Involving those who use and those who deliver employment support in Scotland has been a constant driver as we work to reshape employability support services in Scotland. There will continue to be opportunities to listen and discuss, but also to challenge and to influence the design of new services.

Supplier Engagement events for the 2018 devolved employment programme commenced with an event in Glasgow on Monday 28 November 2016. This was the first of 3 events initially planned – the other two in Inverness on 29 November and Edinburgh on 1 December 2016. There is likely to be a further event in Glasgow on the 9 December 2016 and I would encourage those of you with an interest in bidding to provide new employment services in Scotland to register to attend. Any SME or third sector organisation requiring assistance to become tender ready for public procurement may wish to be aware of the support available from the following organisations:

• Just Enterprise
• SDP Scotland
• Ready for Business

The Scottish Government welcomes any feedback from organisations on additional support or information that would assist potential suppliers wishing to be involved in the 2018 employment programme. The Supplier Engagement events offer you an opportunity to share your thoughts on this with us.

Finally, I am determined we will continue to work together to deliver the employment support services people and employers in Scotland need. My officials will share further detail on the outputs from the Ministerial Summit over the next few weeks on the Employability in Scotland website, however please do stay in touch to share your thoughts, case studies and examples of good practice.

I’d like to thank you in advance for your knowledge and expertise, which are an asset that Scotland needs if we are to make the most of the opportunities we have to deliver a fairer, more prosperous country and to make a real difference in supporting people to achieve their potential.

Best wishes

Jamie Hepburn MSP
Minister for Employability and Training

The 10-year £250 million deal paves the way for investment in innovation, internationalisation, digital connectivity and infrastructure across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Councils across Scotland are set to benefit from almost £13 million of European Social Fund and local authority match funding to target projects that combat poverty and promote equal opportunity.

The Skills Investment Plan for Scotland's Financial Services Sector features a range of measures aimed at helping employers develop the skills of their workforce while encouraging new talent into the industry.

West Coast Mainline operator Virgin Trains says it has doubled the number of ex-offenders it employs and will increase the number of recruitment fairs it holds in prisons.

South Lanarkshire Council's Youth Employment Initiative started in February 2016 and has worked with 1400 young people to date with 600 of them starting work in only 300 days.

The JRF report brings together recent research on the structure of the workforce with data on the attitudes of retail employees to make policy recommendations to both businesses and government.

A total of 17 organisations that help some of Scotland's most disadvantaged young people are to receive support from the latest round of CashBack funding.  

The National Autistic Society report finds that just 16% of autistic adults are in full-time work and this figure has remained the same for the last decade.

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework is now 15 years old and the short, anonymous online survey aims to understand people's awareness and use of the SCQF and the impact it is having.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report examines employers' practices and attitudes to employing UK-born and foreign-born workers.

Adopt an Intern provides flexible solutions to meet businesses' recruitment needs and has helped over 800 companies accelerate their business as a consequence - as demonstrated by this case study. 

Remember to follow us on @employinscot

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