From School to Employment

Every young person who is eligible to leave compulsory education and is making a transition to further learning, training or employment within the Senior Phase should receive an offer of post 16 learning.  Effective transition planning will ensure that the offer is in place in advance of their planned date for leaving school or other episode of learning.  It will include staying in school; attending college or university; taking part in a National Training Programme; learning in a community learning and development or third sector setting, including with an Activity Agreement; volunteering and employment.

Their learning choice must be appropriate to their needs and aspirations: so it must be at the right level; accessible both in terms of location and local labour market opportunity; and delivered through the right learning method.  Having no offer is better than a wrong, or poor quality, offer of learning.  Equally, some young people may choose to take up an opportunity that may not be advisable.  The decision to act on advice or decide otherwise rests with the young person.  Any young person without an offer will continue to be tracked and supported by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) so that appropriate learning provision and specific supports can be put in place at the earliest opportunity by a local provider.

All eligible young people will get high quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance from SDS to help them decide on and take up the post-16 learning choice that is right for them. Additionally, they will get the support they need to help them sustain their learning choice; with more intensive, on-going support for particularly vulnerable young people.  Any young person eligible for a first or subsequent offer of post 16 learning may choose from a wide variety of opportunities which can be categorised as follows:

• Education in school
• Full or part time further education
• Full or part time higher education
• National Training Programmes
• Employment
• Personal Skills Development
• Volunteering