COUNCILLORS were this week updated on the authority’s work to support Aberdeen’s young people into employment with the Council.
The Staff Governance Committee heard about progress on three particular strands of activity being delivered within the Council – an Apprenticeship Programme, Internships for Care Experienced Young People and the ABZ Campus – Employability Pathway Programme.
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This series of initiatives includes building employability programmes to support delivery of the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) by increasing the number of young people achieving positive destinations, as well as providing supported internships, with built-in employability support, to young people who may otherwise be at risk of long-term unemployment.
The Modern Apprenticeship programme offers young people aged between 16 and 24 the opportunity to undertake a recognised qualification at the same time as gaining paid job experience whilst the Graduate Apprenticeship programme, run in partnership with local universities, has seen three employees graduate with another 26 currently working through four-year undergraduate degree courses.
Following the success of the Kickstart Internship Scheme, which saw 83 young people aged between 16 and 24 years old employed on 6-month Internships, the council continues to create job and career opportunities for our young people, targeted at hard to fill vacancies.
This includes newly developed ABZWorks internships, paid at Real Living Wage rate, supporting Care Experienced Young People into paid employment through public-sector funded employability programmes.
Care experienced young people will be eligible for a guaranteed interview for any vacancies/ apprenticeship opportunities within the council at the end of their internship and will receive support with applications and interviews.
23 young people expressed an interest in the Internship programme and have been matched with a job area that they wish to be considered for, with 13 having been successful in securing an opportunity and either commencing work or awaiting a start date.
The pilot of the ABZ Campus – Employability Pathway Programme commenced earlier this month to 15 S4 pupils at three academies within the city and represents a new and unique opportunity to provide a vocational work experience option in a Council service to pupils who may otherwise have left school with limited qualifications and without a positive destination.
The course provides an opportunity for young people to identify and develop the key skills required for employment, as well as gaining a recognised qualification at the end of the course and eligibility for a guaranteed interview for any ACC apprenticeship or entry level role.
Aberdeen City Council’s Staff Governance Convener, Councillor Neil Copland, said: “This is a tremendously encouraging report and it is great to learn about the ongoing work we are doing to make good on our commitment to support our young people into positive career destinations regardless of circumstances.”
Vice Convener, Councillor Gill Al-Samarai, said: “We are a major employer in the city and it is great that that we are leading the way in developing the future careers of our young people despite challenging economic circumstances both locally and across the entire UK.”
