Draft Youth Employment Strategy

31 January 2012

This Draft Youth Employment Strategy outlines an all-Scotland ranging approach to supporting young people toward and into work and will be discussed in depth at the National Economic Forum on Wednesday 1st February 2012.

In times of recession youth unemployment tends to rise quickly and takes time to return to previous rates. The downturn following the global credit crunch of 2008 has been no exception. Indeed the impacts on young people’s employment prospects since 2008 have been acute across many developed economies.

Long term unemployment can scar young people and stunt their life chances. Research shows that the financial consequences of young people moving into long term unemployment are high. For example the lifetime cost of a single cohort of young people failing to make the transition into regular employment is estimated be in the region of £2 billion.

The Scottish Government will continue to encourage everyone who can support our young people to do so. All of the actions outlined in this document will be taken forward as a matter of urgency.
In terms of immediate and longer term steps the Scottish Government will:

• Work with a range of stakeholders to finalise and publish our youth employment strategy.
• Finalise the use of the additional Opportunities for All funding and make specific announcements on 2012/13 funding in February and March.
• Update Parliament and stakeholders regularly on the implementation of the actions contained within this plan as we move through 2012/13.

• Continue to work with stakeholders to identify additional actions to support young people in the year ahead and beyond.

As has been made clear throughout the document this is a significant national challenge to which we must all respond. The costs of failing to address the issue of youth unemployment are too high for us to accept. By working together with and on behalf of our young people we can and will make the difference we need to make.