Priority client groups

Who are the priority clients?

The term “Priority Clients” is used to describe people who are a particular focus for current employability initiatives aimed at improving employability and increasing employment rates. It is recognised that there are specific groups of individuals who face particular barriers to finding and sustaining employment, including:

Barriers to employment

For each individual, there will be a range of different reasons why they are not achieving what they would like in terms of employment. For example, low levels of confidence or motivation, lack of appropriate skills, poor health or where they live compared to where the jobs are available.

The research carried out for Workforce Plus shows that the typical issues that are faced by those in the priority groups fall into three categories.

• Structural issues – these are concerned with factors such as the benefits system and access and affordability of services and support.
• Attitudinal issues – these are concerned with the attitudes and recruitment practices of employers and those of carers, families, support workers and peer groups.

• Personal issues – these are concerned with the skills and attitudes of workless individuals themselves

Other research highlights the effects of two main categories: 

• Place effects – these include the location of an area, i.e. in relation to where jobs are, poor infrastructure, lack of transport and other supports such as childcare, limited training or job opportunities and competition for those that are available.
• People effects – limited tacit information about jobs, due to the effects of living or socialising with other priority clients, limiting informal notification of jobs.
   

The table below outlines some of the common issues within these categories faced by some of the key priority groups in Scotland. Further information on each priority client group can be found by using the drop down menu at the left of the page.

Further details are available on each priority client group by going to the Individual Client Groups page where you will find information on the following groups: