Dumfries and Galloway’s vision is that all young people will receive an appropriate offer of post-16 learning, training, employment or personal skills development with 100% positive destinations for all school leavers in Dumfries & Galloway.

Planning forms part of the process for ensuring there are opportunities available for you on leaving school. Planning will help identify the most appropriate offer that matches your needs and career aspirations. It must be:

  • at the right level
  • accessible both in terms of location and local labour market opportunity
  • delivered through the right learning method
  • fit with your chosen pathway

To find out more visit: https://www.dgtap.co.uk/education and https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/

The DG Youth Guarantee is an extension of the Scottish Government’s commitment that every single 16-19-year-old in Scotland will be offered a place in appropriate learning or training if they are not already in a job, Modern Apprenticeship or in education this includes 3 critical elements:

  1. the right learning – with a range of options on personalisation and choice. This will include staying on at school, entering further or higher education, taking up employment, an Apprenticeship, participating in training, or taking part in personal skills development in a community learning and development setting or a third sector organisation.
  2. the right support to remove barriers that might restrict young people’s learning choices and information, advice and guidance; to help young people take up and sustain their offer; and
  3. the right financial support to help young people take up the offer which is right for them and not the choice which pays best or offers the most generous support

For more information visit: https://www.dgtap.co.uk/youth-guarantee

Universal Support for all Learners

All learners are asked to identify their plans for the future from S3 onwards. This information is saved by the school and can help young people choose relevant subjects as well as being passed on to partner organisations to plan for pathways beyond school. Young people are asked about their anticipated leave date, preferred route and preferred sectors. This information is updated annually as young people change and consider pathways. Final destinations secured on leaving school are recorded on a leavers form.

For more information and to see copies of the questions visit: https://www.dgtap.co.uk/planning-your-future

Targeted Support for Learners

For Learners who don’t have a secure destination but are planning to leave school: The Employability Coordination Group (ECG) has representation from Pupil Support staff, Skills Development Scotland and the Employability & Skills Service plus Supporting Learners Officers where there is persistent absenteeism and Additional Support for Learning Staff when appropriate. As ALL young people progress through the BGE phase, Skills Development Scotland and/or Supporting Learners staff will have established a model of support for pupils.

The employability coordination group will meet regularly to consider all pupils (S4-S6) to determine their level of risk of not achieving a positive destination up to 6 months before their leaving date. For those who wish to leave but don’t have a positive destination a key partner will be agreed. to ensure the appropriate support is in place for each young person. Young people who have been given extra support in school will automatically be considered to enable the right support to continue through the transition to post school if needed. There are a range of identified support programmes available to help young people who wish to leave school but require more support before moving in to training, employment or further education.

For more information on Activity Agreements, the DG Employability Award or Project Search visit: https://www.dgtap.co.uk/training-development

To see the range of staff who can help download the ‘who can help school’ leaflet. Skills Development Scotland My World of Work https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/

  • Skills Development Scotland offer support in schools and online for pupils and parents including:
  • Information for parents:
  • parents and careers section to help parents support their children through career decisions
  • Subject choices: everything young people need to consider when choosing their subjects.
  • Leaving School: help to find the right job, training or further education opportunity
  • Exam results: help to plan their next steps after exams
  • Preparing from a job: build a CB and practice for interviews
  • Apprenticeships: find out what apprenticeships are available including foundation apprenticeships which begin at school.

Additional contact for information for staff and parents include:

For DG Employability Award: DGEmployabilityAward@dumgal.gov.uk

For all Employability (Employability and Skills Service) referrals: ESS.referrals@dumgal.gov.uk

For Project Search: Projectsearch@dumgal.gov.uk

For Work Experience: workexperience@dumgal.gov.uk

For Youth Guarantee or DYW: DGyouthguarantee@dumgal.gov.uk