Scottish Government Employability Grant Award and Investment Plan 2026-27- AM reviewed
Renfrewshire Council · 26 May 2026
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 26 May 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 26th May 2026 Report by: Chief Executive Heading: Scottish Government Employability Grant Award and Investment Plan 2026-27 1. Summary 1.1 This report updates Board on the most recent funding allocation from the Scottish Government for employability support in Renfrewshire for the 2026- 27 period. It also summarises the Annual Investment Plan for Employability for the year ahead. 1.2 A grant award to local authorities is provided under the banner of No-One Left Behind (NOLB) to support all-age employability services and to specifically support disabled people into work and to tackle child poverty. 1.3 Renfrewshire Council is accountable for the resources which are directed and managed through the Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Board members are asked to: • Note the acceptance of Scottish Government grant by the Director of Finance awarded to Renfrewshire Council for the 2026-27 period for a total of £2,664,070 under the banner of No-One Left Behind. • Endorse the Annual Investment Plan submitted to the Scottish Government, on behalf of the wider Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership, and note the contents. • Note that further updates on the Council’s employability programme will be reported to a future board (as required)
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PUBLIC 3. Background 3.1 Employability plays an essential role in delivering both Scottish and local government’s aims of tackling poverty, promoting inclusion and social justice and creating a fair and prosperous Scotland. It is a key component of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), contributing to delivering the vision for a strong economy where good, secure and well-paid jobs and growing businesses have driven a significant reduction in poverty and, in particular, child poverty. 3.2 Collectively, Scottish and local government aim to build an employability system that tackles inequalities in Scotland’s labour market by creating a more responsive, joined up and aligned employability system that meets the needs of employers and local labour market and helps people of all ages achieve their potential. 3.3 Many individuals face significant challenges and barriers to obtaining and sustaining work: This includes disabled people, those with long-term health conditions, lone parents, homeless people and those from minority ethnic groups. Barriers are also likely to exist and needing to be overcome for young care leavers, ‘new Scots’ / refugees and those in the justice system, meaning there is still a strong demand for employability support. 3.4 No One Left Behind promotes a strengthened partnership approach where Scottish and local government are working together with public, private and third sector organisations to identify local needs and deliver a mixed economy of provision. Local authorities act as lead accountable bodies for funding, with funding being used by local employability partnerships (LEPs) to design and deliver services that meet the needs of people and labour markets in their area. 4. Renfrewshire Employability Award 2026-7 4.1 For the fiscal year 2026–27, the Scottish Government has allocated a total budget of £2,664,070 for Renfrewshire. 4.2 The grant is split into the three separate lines of activity alongside an allocation for a Parental Employability Co-ordinator through the General Revenue Grant. 4.3 Activity and spend for each must be reported separately. The allocations for each part of the overall grant fund are set out below: (a) All-Age Employability Support £1,169,880 (b) Tackling Child Poverty (supporting parental employment) £1,242,401 [plus £77,815 General revenue Grant (GRG)] (c) Specialist Employability Support (for those with a disability or health condition) £173,973
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PUBLIC 4.4 It is the responsibility of the grantee (Renfrewshire Council) to ensure that the grant is utilised to deliver the policy and delivery priorities set out in the Grant Offer Letter, and that decisions on the allocation of funding are discussed with the local employability partnership and take into account wider employability investment that exists in the area. 4.5 The Council, on behalf of the Renfrewshire LEP, will submit an Annual Investment Plan (AIP) which sets out proposals for delivery of services and support in 2025-26. The Annual Investment Plan (AIP) must take into account identification of local needs as evidenced by local statistical data and input from stakeholders and service users. The AIP should also include information regarding all core internal funding input for employability support, the level of funding received from the UK Local Growth Fund and details of any other sources of funding for employability. 4.6 The Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership works collaboratively with stakeholders and service users to identify and commission employability support to meet service users' needs and emerging labour market demands. The commissioning process in Renfrewshire was completed in March 2026 for the April 26 to March 27 period and will be highlighted in the AIP. 5. Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership Annual Investment Plan 2026-27 5.1 The 2026–27 Annual Investment Plan sets out a coordinated, all-age employability approach aligned to No One Left Behind principles. The plan focuses on delivering flexible, person-centred support that responds to local labour market demand while prioritising those facing the greatest barriers to employment. 5.2 Delivery is structured across three main strands: • All Age Employability – the core offer providing holistic support for unemployed individuals • Parental Employability Support (PES) – targeted interventions for parents to support entry or re-entry into work • Specialist Employability Support (SES) – intensive support for individuals with complex or multiple barriers 5.3 The approach combines: • Commissioned provision from third sector, private providers, and further education • In-house delivery through council-led employability and advice services • Employer engagement and incentives, including recruitment incentives and sector-based training pathways
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PUBLIC 5.4 There is a strong emphasis on: • Early engagement and preventative support • Progression through employability pipelines (training → work experience → employment) • Alignment with growth sectors such as care, construction, and hospitality • Embedding wellbeing, mental health, and financial inclusion support alongside employability 6. Priority Target Groups 6.1 The plan prioritises a broad range of individuals, with a focus on those most distant from the labour market. Key target groups include: • All-age unemployed individuals, including long-term unemployed adults • Young people (16–19), particularly school leavers at risk of not progressing • Parents, supported through tailored employability pathways • People with health conditions or disabilities, including complex needs • Individuals experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing challenges • Minority ethnic communities and New Scots (refugees and migrants) • Individuals involved in the justice system, including targeted support for women • People requiring ESOL support • Individuals interested in self-employment 6.2 In addition, the plan includes: • Support for employability staff development, particularly around neurodiversity and specialist support needs • Financial inclusion and welfare advice services, recognising the link between poverty and employability 6.3 Overall, the targeting reflects both local labour market intelligence and evidence from partnership groups, ensuring resources are directed where impact will be greatest. 7. Delivery Model 7.1 Provision will be delivered through a mixed economy of partners: • Third sector organisations delivering tailored, community-based programmes • Private training providers offering sector-specific pathways • Further education colleges supporting vocational skills development
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PUBLIC • Council services delivering core employability support and key worker models 7.2 Programmes range from short employability courses (4–10 weeks) to longer, staged interventions, alongside: • Work placements and traineeships • Sector-based academies • Self-employment support • Counselling and wellbeing services 7.3 This blended model ensures both scale and specialisation, enabling the system to respond flexibly to different client needs. 8. Planned Activity (Participants) 8.1 The plan forecasts a total of 1,900 clients next year: • Total new starts: approximately 1,000 participants o All Age Employability (excluding parents): ~750 o Parental Employability Support: ~250 parents o Specialist Employability Support: ~55 individuals within the above totals • Anticipated restarts: ~350 participants who have previously been supported at some point in the past 6 years • Continuing Clients: - around 350 • Wider LEP provision not counted in NOLB return: 200 • Total caseload (including existing participants): ~500 people actively engaged at any one time 8.2 Participant numbers are expected to remain broadly stable throughout the year, with consistent quarterly delivery. 9. Investment and Funding 9.1 Total planned employability investment is approximately: • £5 million (total across all funding sources) 9.2 This includes: by funding source • Scottish Government funding: ~£2.66 million • Local Government funding: -£1.9 million (including core Renfrewshire Council Economic Development Staff) • Other funding sources: ~£0.45 million
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PUBLIC 9.3 Funding is phased across the year, with expenditure increasing through Q3 and Q4 in line with programme delivery. 10. Key Outcomes and Impact 10.1 The plan is designed to deliver: • Progression into employment, education, or training • Increased qualifications and work experience outcomes • Improved mental health and wellbeing • Enhanced financial stability through advice and income maximisation • Greater employer engagement and local recruitment 10.2 A strong focus is placed on sustained outcomes, not just job entry, supported by ongoing key worker engagement. 11. Conclusion 11.1 The plan represents a comprehensive and balanced employability system, approved by the LEP partners and combining: • Scale (through core services) • Targeting (through priority groups and specialist provision) • Flexibility (through a diverse delivery model) It is aligned with national policy, grounded in local need, and designed to maximise both economic participation and social inclusion across Renfrewshire 11.2 Further reports will be brought back to the board as required. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – There are no implications, annual funding comes from Scottish Government and Council support comes from a range of council departments including Economic Development, Housing and Environmental Services support traineeships;. 2. HR & Organisational Development – There are no implications.
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PUBLIC 3. Community/Council Planning – the LEP reports into the ommunity Planning Partnership (CPP) and also to this board. Members of the LEP are key CPP partners. 4. Legal- no implications. 5. Property/Assets- There are no new implications. 6. Information Technology – There are no implications 7. Equality & Human Rights- There are no implications 8. Health & Safety- There are no implications 9. Procurement - There are no new implications. 10. Risk- There are no implications 11. Privacy Impact- There are no implications 12. COSLA Policy Position- employability is a national priority and also features heavily in the new Community Wealth Building (CWB) agenda. COSLA strongly supports the concept of CWB, advocating for its implementation across Scotland through legislation and collaborative efforts with local authorities, businesses, third sector organisations, and communities to ensure wealth generated within communities is redistributed and benefits local residents; essentially seeing local government as a key "anchor institution" to drive CWB initiatives. 13. Children’s Rights - There are no implications 14. Climate Risk - There are no implications _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ruth Cooper, Economic Development Manager, Renfrewshire Council Email: ruth.cooper@renfrewshire.gov.uk