Glasgow MSP Bob Doris has welcomed funding from the SNP Scottish Government to give schools leavers a helping hand. Skills Minister Keith Brown has unveiled a Scotland-wide £6.5 million package to help young people into work including vocational pathway opportunities for 16 and 17 year olds, access to entrepreneurial training opportunities and graduate placements.

The announcement follows work over the past three months by the Summer Leavers Taskforce, led by the Scottish Government in partnership with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.

"A new national helpline for employers will make it far easier for firms to place a young person in a job or modern apprenticeship, or to offer valuable work experience. "Practical measures are needed now to make sure Glasgow's school leavers have all the support they need and they can find opportunities despite job shortages in the local economy."

The package will help school leavers across Scotland and includes:

• 800 vocational pathway opportunities for 16 and 17 year olds;
  
• a £1,000 incentive for up to 2,000 employers to offer a modern apprenticeship to young people who face specific barriers to securing such an opportunity including care leavers;
  
• a new national helpline to support those employers who can offer a young person a job, a modern apprenticeship, or a work experience opportunity;
  
• 60 entrepreneurial training opportunities;
  
• 750 graduate placements over the next three years;
  
• 1,000 volunteering opportunities.
  
• Access to additional 5,000 all age modern apprenticeships;

Skills Minister, Keith Brown MSP said: "Our young people are our future workforce. However, recession hits them the hardest. More young people than usual stayed on at school or started college last year meaning more will leave this summer.

"We identified the challenge early on. The Summer Leavers Taskforce worked with business, councils and the voluntary sector to establish what was needed to help these young people and we have responded accordingly.

"The Scottish Government cannot create jobs but we can create the right business conditions and provide support business to create jobs. The measures we have introduced will extend this support and aim to motivate employers to offer young people an opportunity while Skills Development Scotland is signposting young people to help and advice.

"On top of the record levels of funding to colleges and universities, we have created 4,000 more college places for young people. Today's package of measures makes clear our resolve to support our young learners and future earners.

"There is consensus that reducing youth unemployment must be one of Scotland's top priorities. We have worked closely with business organisations, particularly SCDI, whose input has seen real outputs - such as the call to action 'Step Forward Scotland.' We need the public, private and voluntary sectors to step forward and help us to help young people become the future workforce and economic success we know they can be."

Notes:

• A range of partners are involved in delivering these measures including colleges, employers Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland.
  
• For ministerial statement, more information and links to video and audio clips, please see here.
  
• Businesses wanting to find out more can call The Employer Helpline on 0800 783 6000 or visit here.
  
• Young people wanting find out more can call The Careers Helpline - 0800 917 8000 or visit here.