Three years ago, the Scottish Government established the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. The Wood Commission, as it became known, re-examined the purpose of vocational education and called for a transformation in how schools and colleges work with business to better equip young people for employment.
The Scottish government’s response was a seven year programme which included an eye-catching commitment to cut youth unemployment by 40% by 2021 and the creation of industry-led groups to bridge the gap between business and education. In a break from the past, the Cabinet Secretary said: ‘Fundamentally, this is about ensuring a work relevant educational experience for our young people… It is about employers playing an active role, both shaping and benefiting from Scotland’s education system… Ultimately, it is about the future workforce’.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) commissioned Rocket Science to undertake this research, in part, to find out how we make these aspirations a reality in an economy dominated by small firms. It breaks new ground, uncovering the nature and scale of business engagement in Scottish secondary schools, providing crucial evidence for the Regional Developing Young Workforce Groups who are charged with transforming schoolbusiness engagement. The report also includes a number of recommendations for the Scottish government, public agencies, local authorities, schools and industry.