An activity contract is an individual set of activities and learning tailored to the needs and interests of a young person. It can be a range of activities – music, art, sports, outdoor activities – and can flexibly respond to the young person`s suggestions. The goal is for a young person to be more confident after completing a program and feel ready to make the next transition to further education, training or employment. The Employability Partnership Agreement, signed by Scottish Ministers and COSLA leaders in December 2018, marked a commitment to a collaborative approach between the two levels of government in Scotland. Each participant creates an individual learning action plan and participates in a tailor-made learning and action programme based on an assessment of their immediate and future skills needs. A non-formal option through an activity agreement can only begin when the boy has left school; However, planning can be done in their final semester, so that they can start their program when they leave school. An activity agreement is an agreement between a young person and his or her “primary contact” whereby the young person participates in an apprenticeship and activity programme that must be planned and implemented in such a way that the young person is ready for formal learning or employment. There must be regular follow-up of the agreement with the young person. If the young person receives a school support allowance (EMA), this meets the financial requirements of the EMA. The new NOLB business agreements will be delivered throughout the city, with a rollout divided into five hubs: two in the north, two in the south and one in the city center.

Activity agreements are for individuals aged 15.5 to 19, but up to the age of 26 for people with multiple barriers, as outlined in the NOLB`s Guide to Emerging Best Practices. Dedicated employees work with young people to agree on a set of tailor-made activities to encourage and support them to take the next step towards a positive destination. Scottish and local governments remain committed to No One Left Behind`s common goal of developing a Scottish approach to employability that focuses primarily on the needs of the individual. A people-centred system that is more flexible and responsive to changing labour markets, tackling inequalities and growing Scotland`s economy is needed more than ever as we shape our collective economic and social response to the current public health crisis. This No One Is Left Behind implementation plan outlines the next phase of work to define key measures to ensure we achieve our goal of more effective and stronger support across Scotland. It also sets out our commitment to broader engagement involving a range of partners and stakeholders. This reflects our shared commitment to the collective leadership of partners at national, regional and local levels to bring about the transformation needed to ensure we have responsive and responsive services to improve outcomes for all our communities. It is therefore crucial that No One Left Behind progresses at a pace that allows us to maintain the employability system and bring stability to the support that users of this system rely on.

On this basis, we have agreed in principle that the Community Jobs Scotland and Employability Fund will start its work in the next financial year (2021/22), subject to the budget and expenditure review process. Anyone participating in the Scottish Government`s Fair Start Scotland programme is not eligible. No One Left Behind is our strategy to put people at the heart of the design and delivery of employability services. It fosters a strengthened partnership approach, in which the government works with education providers in the tertiary sector to identify local needs and make informed, evidence-based decisions and make them flexible to meet emerging labour market needs. Only by working together and trusting each other to prioritise person-centred principles and thinking across organisational boundaries can we create an enabling environment for service redesign that will have a lasting impact on those who face inequalities and remain furthest from the Scottish labour market. The Scottish and Local Governments` Action Plan to Improve Employability sets out the framework within which we will facilitate change with the appropriate levels of national governance and local action. The Angus Council encourages private and service sector companies with up to 250 employees to apply for the fund to cover the cost of hiring individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for the program. An activity agreement is one of the target options for a young person who reaches the legal school leaving age, or can be an option at any time between the ages of 16 and 19. It is part of the Scottish Government`s Continuing Education Guarantee as part of Opportunities for All. As part of the Youth Guarantee, we offer an Employer Recruitment Incentive that offers employers up to £6,000 (over 52 weeks) to support the additional costs of recruiting and supporting a young person aged 16-24 in a sustainable and meaningful job.

The service is tailor-made to suit the individual`s interests and remove barriers to learning and progress. The training takes place in the form of bite-sized tasting lessons, which are as diverse as music; Bushcraft; climbing; aromatherepy and much more. Anyone can refer to this service: schools; families; Social Work; Skills development Scotland etc. The service provides a young person with regular support from a NOLB Activity Agreement Coach and works on an individual level to help them achieve their goals. Participants may also be entitled to an educational interview. This was set up by the Scottish Government to create a flexible, user-based model of employability support for people from school leaving age to 67 (retirement age) and a commitment to opportunities for all for young people aged 16 to 19. This project is in its early stages and currently supports: “I owe everything I have today to the Activity Agreement, more specifically to my Activity Agreement Coach; She was always there to help me in times when I needed it and gave me the chance to help me improve my life when no one else would. I wouldn`t like to think about where I would be today if she didn`t show up at my door one day, but I couldn`t be more thankful that it happened, and I couldn`t recommend to people who are even in a similar situation to mine to take advantage of the activity agreement with both hands and get the most out of it.

“Business agreement recommendations are being addressed by Edinburgh City Council`s Business Growth and Inclusion Team. For more information on the recommendations and how to contact the team, visit the Activity Agreements page (which will open in a new window) on the Commission`s website. Young people (16-19 years old) can apply for an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), which is £30 per week if they meet the criteria. The plan sets out the next steps we will take to ensure more effective and connected support for employability across Scotland. “For me, the activity agreement is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I`ve had a lot of problems throughout my life, many of which I haven`t talked about, and in high school I felt like all those moments were finally home, when I was constantly being bullied and feeling like a ghost of people I thought were my best friends. That`s why I started dropping out of school in S5 and not leaving. I felt like I had no one in my life at that time to go for anything, which led to a sharp increase in mental health issues and a loss of confidence, which was the reason I stayed at home most of the time for an entire year. For activity agreements, please contact LearningChoice@angus.gov.uk.

Helping people find fair and sustainable jobs is key to achieving many of Scotland`s ambitions for inclusive growth, tackling child poverty and public health reform. Our recovery will be an opportunity to do things differently – and most importantly, to rebuild our economy by promoting well-being and fair work. That`s what No One Left Behind is, and we remain committed to achieving this transformation in partnership through collective leadership, a collaborative approach, and significant cultural change. .