Scottish business is backing a new employer assessed work-based qualification to help young people prove they are ready for employment. The Certificate of Work Readiness has been developed in partnership with the business community and aims to give unemployed young people the chance to demonstrate the value they bring to the workplace.   Piloted by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in a number of areas, the certificate will consist of college-based learning time, as well as 190 hours of real life work experience, and is unique in that it will only be awarded following employer assessment. Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance said: “The latest employment figures paint an improving picture for Scotland’s young people with more in work and less claiming unemployment....

By Polly Jones, Corporate Affairs Manager, Scotland, Asda Recent job statistics have given reasons for optimism on employment in Scotland, with an increase in the number of Scots moving into work and five consecutive months of improving youth employment figures. But while the economic outlook may be improving, it’s clear that some significant challenges remain for Scotland’s workforce. The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee recently conducted an inquiry into underemployment in Scotland. Taking evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, the committee found that many workers are underutilising their skills in the workplace, or don’t have the opportunity to access the good quality education, training and work experience they need to develop their skills....

Already faced with a changing regulatory landscape globally, the financial services sector may have yet another challenge: finding and keeping good employees. In a recent study by recruitment consultancy Robert Half, nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) executives surveyed in seven countries reported recruiting difficulties, and 83 per cent said they are concerned about losing top performers to other opportunities. Neil Owen, Global Practice Director, Robert Half Financial Services, said: “While some areas within financial services institutions have seen cutbacks, other more profitable product lines are receiving further investment which has resulted in additional hiring since the beginning of the year. “This is creating challenges in finding the requisite staff to capitalise on...

More than 7,000 school leavers are out of work and not in training, despite a Scottish Government commitment to young people, Labour has said. The Scottish Government has made a commitment to offer all 16 to 19-year-olds a learning or training place if they do not have a job, or are not in education or training. But Labour leader Johann Lamont said Skills Development Scotland claimed last month that around 7,000 school leavers are looking for work or training and are yet to find a place.   She said that “worse than that”, the skills agency does not know what more than 17,000 school leavers are doing. `Under freedom of information, we have established that Skills Development Scotland has identified more than 7,000 school leavers who are known to be looking for a job or...

Against a background of strong and sustained industry growth, the demand for jobs in digital technologies remains a critical barrier as companies report it’s increasingly hard to fill vacancies and meet specific skills shortages. These are the latest findings from the Scottish technology industry’s annual barometer that shows that almost 70 per cent of respondents are planning to take on more staff, an increase of 10 per cent on 2012 figures. Employing more than 100,000 people, the IT and digital industry in Scotland is now growing faster than any other sector, with 45,000 new professionals needed in the next five years. This view is echoed by the recent Bank of Scotland ‘Report on Jobs’, which showed that demand for permanent jobs in IT and computing continues to lead...