Scotland's Developing the Young Workforce Programme Wins Award

Last week, Scotland's Developing the Young Workforce Programme won the Future Policy Silver Award 2019 by the World Future Council for youth empowerment.

The Future Policy Award is the only global award that recognises policies for the benefit of present and future generations.

The DYW programme has been selected among 67 nominated policies from 36 countries. Also known as “Oscar for Best Policies”, the Future Policy Award highlights the world’s most impactful policies which empower youth. The other winning laws and policies come from Rwanda, Estonia, Nepal, Los Angeles (USA), Senegal, South Africa and Europe.

The Comahirle’s ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ programme exists to improve the employability and broader life-chances of all young people in school.  In the Outer Hebrides, ensuring young people have relevant skills for work and enterprise is as much an economic and cultural imperative as it is educational.  Schools need to enable young people with the self-confidence and local work-based skills required by the economy and with the capacity to maximise the islands’ linguistic and cultural opportunities. The Comhairle is delivering 6 Foundation Apprenticeships in the senior phase of 3 of 4 Secondary Schools for Academic year 2019-20.  The following frameworks are been delivered to a total of 52 apprentices: Business Skills, Creative Digital Media, Engineering, Food and Drink, Social Services Children and Young People and Social Services and HealthCare. 

Cllr Angus McCormack, Chairman of the Comhairle’s Education, Skills and Children’s Services Committee, said: “This is an amazing achievement for the Developing the Young Workforce Programme across Scotland. The Comhairle is committed to reducing youth unemployment, developing young people’s skills and creating more opportunities for them to follow successful career pathways. We are very pleased to be part of Scotland’s DYW programme and this award recognises the success of young people across Scotland.”

The winners were announced on 16th October during the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Belgrade, Serbia at the 2019 Future Policy Award Ceremony, which is organised by the World Future Council, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

For more information on the award, please visit: Future Policy Award