New Skills Development Scotland data shows that Dundee has achieved the greatest increase in the country in the national Annual Participation measure of local 16–19-year-olds in education, employment or training in the last year.
Senior councillors are highlighting how Dundee’s Local Employability Partnership, Discover Work, supports young people after they leave school and is now taking forward new approaches to assist more of them into positive destinations.
Earlier this year, the council agreed the report ‘A Step Change on Positive Destinations for Young Dundonians’, following work to analyse the situation in the city.
New measures include the appointment of a senior leader within each secondary school to lead a multi-agency group and be responsible for ensuring that all 16-19 year-olds in the school’s community achieve a positive destination.
Councillor Steven Rome, convener of Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure said: “This increase over the last year in Dundee is to be welcomed.
“Our young people deserve as much support as possible and I am impressed by how partners are coming together to improve prospects for them.
“We are all determined to take forward the wide range of actions which will identify the individual needs of young people and provide them with strong guidance.
“It is vital for the future of these young people, and the city itself, that we help many more of them into positive destinations after they leave school and enhance their employability skills.”
Simon Hewitt, Chair of Discover Work and Principal of Dundee & Angus College said: “At Dundee & Angus College, we are proud to be part of the collaborative effort that has led to a significant increase in the number of young people in Dundee participating in education, employment or training in the last year.
“This achievement is a testament to the strength of our partnership with Skills Development Scotland, Dundee City Council, All in Dundee, and other key stakeholders. By working together, we are not only identifying the unique needs of each young person but also providing them with the tailored support and opportunities they need to thrive.”
The SDS report can be found here https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/jbndibkf/annual-participation-measure-2024-report.pdf
Meanwhile, the council’s Children, Families and Communities Committee will look at follow-up leavers’ destinations data which shows young people’s status nine months after leaving school.
In the last four years there has been an increase in pupils remaining in a positive destination with a rise of 0.8% in the last year alone.
Last year 92.4% of Dundee school leavers were in a positive post school destination nine months after leaving school, the majority in education, work, or training.
The increasing number of pupils in Dundee sustaining positive destinations goes against the national picture, with the number of pupils across Scotland in positive destinations at follow-up slightly declining.
Figures show that following several improvements made in the past year a growing number of pupils from the least deprived areas of the city are remaining in positive destinations.
The gap between those in the most and least deprived areas of the city moving into a positive destination is decreasing at a faster rate than the Scottish average.
Children, Families and Communities Convener Stewart Hunter said: “It’s great to see more of our young people move into and sustain positive destinations after they finish school and it’s encouraging to see so many going into education, work, or training.
“We are committed to ensuring that all our young people have the same opportunities to progress in life and it’s good to see progress in this area.
“I would like to thank parents, carers, and school staff for their help and support for our young people as they take this next step in life.
“We know for a variety of reasons some of our young people choose not to continue of the path they’ve chosen once they’ve left school, the council and partners are always here to help and explore more options with our young people.”
The Children, Families and Communities Committee will meet on Monday 2nd September.