Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce

1. Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Interim Recommendations and Further Work

2. Background to the Commission • The Commission was established in January 2013 • It was asked to develop recommendations to Scottish Ministers and COSLA on: • Improvement to vocational and further education starting in the senior phase of CfE; and • Increasing employer engagement with education and youth employment

3. Approach • Significant amount of evidence gathering • Direct face to face interviews (300+ people) • Consultations and ad-hoc information collection exercises • 9 separate regional sessions • Young people’s summit • Forthcoming employers seminar • Forthcoming HR directors seminar • Forthcoming national summit

4. International Best Practice • The best performing European countries in terms of youth unemployment have 2 things in common: • A highly regarded vocational education system which starts in secondary school and allows for progression with a significant element of work-based learning; and • Significant employer involvement in the development and delivery of education.

5. Early Findings • Focus on university pathways in schools. • Careers advice starting too late to influence choices. • College system going through significant reform. • Limited progression opportunities within MAs. • Limited employer engagement with education. • Poor parental understanding of options. • Work experience is of fundamental importance to young people and employers but is generally very formulaic • Majority of young people leaving school with only limited preparation for what comes next.

6. Interim Recommendations • Pathways should start in the senior phase which lead to the delivery of industry recognised vocational qualifications alongside academic qualifications. • A focus on preparing all young people for employment should form a core element of the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. • Colleges’ key role in the development of Scotland’s young workforce should be recognised and managed through Regional Outcome Agreements.

7. Interim Recommendations • The new regional colleges should have a primary focus on employment outcomes and supporting local economic development. This should be underpinned by meaningful and wide ranging partnerships with industry. • A commitment to supporting the development of Scotland’s young workforce through the enhancement of vocational education pathways should feature prominently in the National Performance Framework, Community Plans and College Regional Outcome Agreements.

8. Interim Recommendations • Modern Apprenticeships should be aligned with the skills required to support economic growth • Development of Modern Apprenticeship access processes and progression pathways should be prioritised. • An industry-led quality improvement regime should be introduced to oversee the development and promotion of Modern Apprenticeships. • If employers can be encouraged to offer significantly more good quality apprenticeships, the Government should consider a carefully managed expansion of the annual number of Modern Apprenticeship starts.

9. Interim Recommendations • Support for young people at risk of disengaging from education and for those who have already done so should relate to labour market demand and should be focussed on helping young people engage on labour market relevant pathways. • A focus on Science Technology Engineering and Maths should sit at the heart of the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce. • Employability must be a key focus within Education Scotland’s work to support and quality assure the delivery of education

10. Further Stages Employers • Recommendations to develop incentives and mechanisms to bring many more employers into education. • Establishment of long term partnerships between employers and schools. • A more meaningful approach to work experience • Recommendations to encourage more employers to recruit young people. Equalities • Recommendations to address the under representation of young people from black and minority ethnic groups, those with disabilities and care leavers in the workforce. • Recommendations to address gender segregation in the workforce.

11. Upcoming Milestones • 12th Commission meeting – 19th March • National Summit – 31st March • Employers and HR Directors seminars – 8th April • 13th Commission meeting – 23rd April • Publication of final report – early May