Youth Employment Strategy Unveiled

A strategy to forge closer links between schools and employers will be published by the Scottish Government. The provision of education more tailored to meet the needs of Scotland's employers was a central recommendation of Sir Ian Wood's Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce, which concluded that Scotland is not preparing or equipping its young people for work. Fair Work, Skills and Training Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and youth and women's employment minister Annabelle Ewing will launch their new youth employment strategy at Glasgow Kelvin's Springburn campus today. The strategy takes account of the commission's work and reflects changing economic conditions, the Government said. Ministers will meet staff and students and see examples of how they are fostering closer links with local schools and employers in line with the commission's recommendations. Sir Ian Wood's commission said youth unemployment must be cut by almost half by 2020 to boost economic growth. It called on schools and employers to systematically work together to provide education that will lead successfully to employment. Nearly a fifth (18.8%) of young people are unemployed, more than double the average working-age population and higher than many other European countries, it found. It recommended a cut in youth employment to below 30,000 in line with the five best European countries by 2020. It stated: "We are simply not preparing or equipping these young people for the world of work. "There must be much more focus on providing them with the skills, qualifications and vocational pathways that will lead directly to employment opportunities. "It is also clear that employers have lost the habit of employing young people. Only 29% of employers recruit young people from education and only 13% of employers take on apprentices. "Business and industry must be encouraged to work together with education and young people, and vice versa, to establish pro-active and engaged relationships which will benefit both young people and employers.''