An initiative designed to boost employment opportunities and future career prospects for Argyll and Bute’s young people is going from strength to strength.
At a recent meeting of the Community Services Committee, councillors were updated on the progress of the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) strategy and the work being done to support the area’s youngsters.
The DYW initiative aims to ensure young people develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the world of work by connecting them and their schools with employers.
Councillors heard that a key factor in the success of project over the last two years has been the appointment of four DYW school co-ordinators.
The co-ordinators have helped support each school’s activity to establish partnerships with employers. This has helped to increase the number of school-employer partnerships and has enabled employers to engage with and contribute to the curriculum, as well as providing work placements for young people.
Key aims of the DYW strategy include:
- increasing employer engagement opportunities and the number of employers actively engaged in supporting and preparing young people for the world of work
- supporting employers and partners with the completion of the Young Person’s Guarantee “5 Asks” Employers proforma
- increasing the number of employers offering job and apprenticeship opportunities to young people
- increasing work-based learning and employer engagement opportunities for those who would benefit most
The Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “The partnership between our schools, local employers and third sector organisations under the DYW umbrella has been invaluable in creating and enhancing employment opportunities for Argyll and Bute’s young people.
“The appointment of DYW co-ordinators, in particular, has been extremely beneficial in helping to develop close, dynamic and mutually rewarding links between local employers and schools which, in turn, has helped facilitate high-quality, individually-tailored work placements for our youngsters.”
DYW is co-ordinated across Scotland by regional groups with membership of the Argyll and Bute board including key employers, Skills Development Scotland and third sector representatives.
The Scottish Government has made a policy commitment to fund regional DYW groups through until March 2024 as part of the Future Skills Action Plan.