WIREDGOV

Iconic Scottish hotel accredited as an Investor in Young People.

New industry-led regional Developing the Young Workforce groups will share £2.5 million from the Scottish Government.

The groups are currently being developed across Scotland to encourage and support employers to engage with education and to recruit more young people – key actions from Developing the Young Workforce: Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy.

The Investors in Young People award, an employer accolade that recognises support and training for young people, has also received an extra £158,000 to help even more organisations become accredited.

Investors in People Scotland (IIPS), who administer the award, now plan to engage with at least 240 bodies with support from the Scottish Government now totalling £500,000 for this year.

The announcement comes on the same day that the world-famous Gleneagles Hotel, host of last year’s Ryder Cup, officially celebrated its own Investors in Young People accreditation.

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham visited the Hotel and said yesterday:

“I am very pleased to provide further funding to Investors in People Scotland to promote the award, and also to announce funding for more regional employer groups being developed across Scotland. Employers are key to delivering our vision of opening up work opportunities to everyone, whatever their background or gender.

“I fully expect young people to reap the benefits of these groups which will enhance links between education and employers, thus further helping young people in those areas maximise their potential and help grow the economy.

“To date, more than 170 organisations have become an accredited Investor in Young People in little over a year since the launch of the award, as part of our response to the recommendations from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

“This speaks volumes about the seriousness afforded to youth employment in this country and builds on recent progress on our youth employment strategy, with the publication yesterday of the school-employer partnerships guidance, and the career education and work placement standards.

“I am also very pleased that such an iconic Scottish brand as Gleneagles has been able to join the ever-growing number of Scottish companies gaining recognition for the training and employment opportunities they are offering young women and men. This comes just a year after successfully hosting the Ryder Cup and further illustrates the support from industry in creating fair and fulfilling jobs for our young people.”

Laura Peacock, Investors in Young People Lead at IIP Scotland added: “This a great occasion and location at which to celebrate positive Youth Employment activity in one of Scotland’s finest venues. We wish to congratulate Gleneagles on their proactive approach to engaging with young people including their involvement in the Hospitality Apprenticeship model. Accreditation as an Investor in Young People shows that this is something to which they make a firm commitment.

“It is also the opportunity to celebrate further government support for organisations wishing to engage further in employing, developing and retaining young people as a valued part of their workforce. We look forward to working with more organisations across Scotland who like Gleneagles are keen to celebrate what they are doing and also keen to hear how they could improve and progress their Youth Employment activity further.”

Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles’ Managing Director, said:

“We are truly delighted to welcome Ms Cunningham to Gleneagles, and to receive this Investors in Young People status. Scotland has a reputation for world-class hospitality, and this can only be sustained by supporting the next generation of talent. We’re proud to be doing our part through the Scottish Apprenticeship in Hospitality, and various other schemes, to inspire young people to pursue a career in our industry.”

Notes To Editors

The Scottish Government is aiming to support the establishment of up to 21 industry-led DYW regional groups across Scotland by the end of March 2016. Groups have already been launched in the North East, Glasgow, Fife and North Highland.

Proposals for groups in Ayrshire and West region have been approved by the DYW National Group and will be launched in the coming weeks with proposals for groups in other regions across Scotland are at various stages of development.

The launch of these groups implements a key recommendation from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. The groups aim to:

• encourage and support employers to engage directly with schools and colleges
• challenge and support employers to recruit more young people into their workforce.