Young people in North Ayrshire and Scotland who are trying to access employment will be supported by an additional £4 million SNP Government Funding through the Young Person’s Guarantee.
The funding will help young people impacted most by the pandemic, including those who are care-experienced and those experiencing mental health issues.
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“The pandemic has made it more challenging for young people across North Ayrshire and Scotland to get permanent jobs, and this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. By connecting young people seeking work directly with employers, we can offer them potentially life changing opportunities.
“This additional support is on top of £15 million already allocated to North Ayrshire and other councils through the Young Person’s Guarantee for the current year and will build on the SNP Government’s strong record of tackling youth unemployment.”
The Young Person's Guarantee is a commitment to bring together employers, partners and young people. It aims to connect every 16 to 24 year old in Scotland to an opportunity. This could be a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering.
The SNP Government has provided significant funds to North Ayrshire Council and other local authorities for employment support, in addition to their own local funding.
For 2022/23, almost £60 million is being provided to help deliver employment support, including £15 million for the Young Person’s Guarantee.
This additional £4 million funding for the Young Person’s Guarantee will be shared between three programmes:
Inspiring Scotland will receive £2.6 million towards their Our Future Now programme which offers young people the opportunity to take part in work placements, shadowing and interview training.
The Young People’s Consortium (Action for Children, Barnardo’s and Prince’s Trust) will receive £1.4 million to help young people with experience of the care system secure full-time employment.
Volunteering Matters, in partnership with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), will receive £97,000 towards their work to support young people in Glasgow, including those experiencing mental health issues, to gain access to formal volunteering opportunities.
More infromation about the Young Person's Guarantee can be found here.
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