DYW policy

What is Developing the Young Workforce?

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is a seven-year programme (2014-2021) that aims to better prepare children and young people from 3–18 for the world of work.

This programme builds on the foundations already in place as part of Curriculum for Excellence.

Its headline aim is to reduce youth unemployment by 40% by 2021.

Education Working For All, the final report of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, was published in June 2014.

The Government’s response to this report was published in the form of the Youth Employment Strategy in December 2014. The strategy includes milestones for the seven-year programme across all sectors, challenging schools, colleges and employers to embrace the recommendations and implement the measures required to effect lasting change.

The Youth Employment Strategy summarises the ambitions for local authorities, schools and their partners. For schools, these are summed up under the following key themes:

  • Expanding the offer – increasing the route from schools into employment, or further education which is closely linked to employment
  • Promoting and shaping the offer – engaging with young people, parents, teachers and practitioners, partners and employers
  • Supporting teachers and practitioners to develop children’s and young people’s learning about the world of work
  • Providing earlier relevant, labour-market focused career advice when young people need it, leading to better outcomes
  • Embedding meaningful employer involvement
  • Consolidating partnership working with colleges and other training providers
  • Young people able to access more vocational options during the senior phase of secondary school, which delivers routes into good jobs and careers, developed through effective partnership between schools, colleges, local authorities and other partners
  • Improving opportunities and experiences for all learners, with a focus on reducing gender imbalance on course take-up
  • Development of foundation apprenticeships in schools
  • Stronger partnerships between employers and education.