Aberdeen City Council has been hailed by a Scottish Government body for helping support young people into the job market.
The authority received a letter of thanks from Sandy Begbie, CBE, Chair of the Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Group and Developing the Young Workforce Employers’ Forum for being one of 816 employers signed up to his group’s jobs guarantee for young people across Scotland.
Officially launched on 5 November 2020, The Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG) helps connect young people to appropriate opportunities. All unemployed 16- 24 year-olds in Scotland are given the opportunity to access support to help them into work, to go to university or college, to take up an apprenticeship, take part in training or work experience, or take part in a formal volunteering programme.
Aberdeen City Council is committed to providing a range of work opportunities for young people within the community, including apprenticeship programmes, work experience placements, partnering with schools, colleges and universities, its Guaranteed Interview Scheme, and supporting employability initiatives such as the Kickstart Scheme. It also continues to focus on supporting our existing young workforce to develop their careers within the council and build a skilled workforce for the future.
In his letter, Mr Begbie, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment and continued engagement. Without employers like you, young people would not have the breadth and depth of opportunities available to them, now and in the future.
“I am confident that your commitment to the Guarantee and to making a real difference to young people will continue and I look forward to your ongoing support through the next stage of this vital work.”
Aberdeen City Council’s Staff Governance Convener, Councillor Neil Copland, said: “It is great to receive this recognition from Mr Begbie for our hard work in helping ensure that, in spite of the economic challenges facing the UK, we in Aberdeen are doing everything we can to support our young people into positive career destinations.”
Vice Convener, Councillor Gill Al-Samarai, said: “As a major employer in the city it is vital that Aberdeen City Council participates in the Young Person’s Guarantee scheme and provide a means for our young people to access meaningful and fulfilling employment.”
Photograph shows Kickstart award recipient Scott Watson with Lord Provost David Cameron at an award event in December.