Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership & Economic Strategy (Ishabel Bremner)
Argyll and Bute Council · 5 December 2025
Back to Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership - Management Committee — 5 December 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Classification: OFFICIAL Management Committee Date: 5th December 2025 Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership Delivery Plan 2025-26 1.0 Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is seeking the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Management Committee members to retrospectively endorse the current implementation of the Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership (ABEP) Delivery Plan 2025-26 which includes details on the Annual Investment Plan and a focus on priorities for future action driven delivery for the ABEP. 1.2 Due to the thematic approach to CPP Management Committee meetings throughout 2025, this paper is being presented in the third quarter of delivery. 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 The CPP Management Committee is asked to: • Note the content of this paper. • Retrospectively endorse the implementation of the ABEP Delivery Plan, 2024-25. 3.0 Background 3.1 The ABEP has been in existence as a discussion forum on employability issues and opportunities for several years. However, further to the signing of a partnership agreement between the Scottish Government and Local Government on 5th December 2018, there has been a stronger focus on delivering the shared ambition of the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind (NOLB) policy agenda through all 32 of Scotland’s Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs). 3.2 The employability system in Scotland has undergone a transformation, since the publication of the NOLB documents which outlined the need for a better aligned and integrated employability support system. Transforming the system has required collaborative working across all partners and a culture change in how services are designed, delivered and funded, in particular the move from national to increased local governance arrangements through LEPs. 3.3 Argyll and Bute Council as the accountable body for the ABEP submits the Annual Investment Plan to the Scottish Government. There is no longer a requirement to submit the ABEP Delivery Plan, as in previous years, However, a revised ABEP Delivery Plan for 2025-26 was still deemed an essential document by ABEP members. 3.4 The Scottish Government will soon be publishing the NOLB Employability Strategic Plan Annual Report, which will includes a NOLB Local Employability Partnership Framework developed in partnership with key employability stakeholders, including local authorities, particularly through the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development (SLAED) People Group. The framework aims to inform the leadership and operation of LEPs, to establish a degree of commonality in purpose, membership and help grow good practice in partnership working. As appropriate, the
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2 Classification: OFFICIAL ABEP Delivery Plan will be amended for 2026-27 to take account of any specific actions that are not currently covered. 4.0 Detail 4.1 The ABEP recognises that through stronger and more collaborative partnership working, focused on a place-based person-centred approach, will help to ensure suitable opportunities for individuals of all ages and capabilities through tackling socio-economic disadvantage, inequalities and removing multiple barriers to securing sustainable employment. 4.2 The infographic below provides some the key outcomes from the work of the ABEP during 2024-25 and the positive 13%-point difference in job starts for Argyll and Bute (44%) compared with Scotland (31%) since the inception of NOLB funding in 2019. 4.3 On 20th May 2025 a workshop, facilitated by InspirAlba, involving 27 representatives from across the ABEP (including the facilitators) captured insight and helped to shape the action- driven direction of ongoing work of the partnership. Using participatory leadership approaches, the partners shared their motivations for being involved in the employability landscape and gathered information on the challenges and opportunities, as well as identifying the enabling factors from good practice and shared experience. This discussion was then transposed into the Delivery Plan for 2025-26 (with some ABEP actions focused on the medium term). A film has been produced to showcase the work of the ABEP which includes sound bites from workshop participants, see: Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership - No One Left Behind 4.4 The revised Delivery Plan 2025-26 is presented in Appendix 1. The ABEP will always focus on continuous improvements through ongoing partner discussions, collaborative delivery and feedback from service users.
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3 Classification: OFFICIAL 4.5 A summary of the participants and funding outlined in the ABEP Annual Investment Plan, 2025-26 is outlined in Table 1 and Table 2 below with more information provided in Annex 1 of the Delivery Plan. Table 1: ABEP Annual Investment Plan, Participants and Funding Summary 2025-26 Target Group All Age Employability – exc. parents Tackling Child Poverty - parents Of which Specialist Employability Support All Age Employability – inc. parents Total Participants 155 173 90 96 424 Funding Allocation £593,793 £578,280 £96,514 £300,000 £1,568,587 Funding Scottish Government NOLB Funding Allocation 25.26 UK Government - UK Shared Prosperity Fund Table 2: ABEP Annual Investment Plan, Employability Providers 2025-26 Provider Argyll and Bute Council InspirAlba – consortium lead for 8 third sector providers Clyde Fishermen’s Trust Street League Target Group All Age Employability – exc. parents 22 participants £201,070 funding 110 participants £318,598.77 funding 8 participants £41,401.68 funding 15 participants £32,722.55 funding Tackling Child Poverty - parents 50 participants £160,705 funding 123 participants £417,575 funding N/A N/A Of which Specialist Employability Support N/A 90 (of the above participants) £96,514 funding N/A N/A All Age Employability – inc. parents 96 participants £300,000 funding N/A N/A N/A Total 168 participants £661,775 funding 233 participants £832,687.77 funding 8 participants £41,401.68 funding 15 participants £32,722.55 funding 5.0 Conclusions 5.1 The ABEP Delivery Plan 2025-26, provides a platform for partners and stakeholders delivering employability services across Argyll and Bute to work together to develop valued services and ultimately add value to every engagement with supported individuals. 5.2 The Argyll and Bute CPP Management Committee is being asked to endorse the content of the ABEP Delivery Plan 2025-26 in Appendix 1. In particular, the Annual Investment Plan outlines opportunities for individuals of all ages and capabilities to tackle socio-economic disadvantage, inequalities and remove multiple barriers to secure sustainable employment. Inclusive growth and a wellbeing economy focus lies at the heart of this Delivery Plan where partner activity will contribute to the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind policy direction.
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4 Classification: OFFICIAL 6.0 Implications Strategic Implications The ABEP Delivery Plan aligns and contributes to the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind policy direction. Strong partnership working with employers (public, private and third sector) is essential to provide opportunities for work experience to directly help individuals make informed choices on the training and employment options open to them and by doing so allow individuals to gain their first critical experience of the world of work. The ABEP Delivery Plan activity complements that of several other partnership groups aligned to CPP activity, ensuring links to other local strategies and plans, such as: • CPP revised Local Outcome Improvement Plan, 2024-2034 complete with the key principles committed to promoting equality. • Argyll and Bute Council Economic Strategy, 2024-2034 and associated Action Plan, 2025-2028 (short-term focus). • Argyll and Bute Child Poverty Action Plan Group • Argyll and Bute Community Learning and Development Strategic Partnership. • Financial Inclusion and Advice Group. Consultations, Previous considerations The ABEP Delivery Plan was developed and prepared incorporating actions derived a ABEP workshop session, facilitated by InspirAlba (a ABEP member) on 20th May 2025. Resources The resources required to deliver the NOLB funding agenda for 2025-26 are summarised in Table 1 and Table 2 in the main report and in Annex 1 of the Delivery Plan, Appendix 1 to this paper. Prevention It is hoped that many of the interventions will assist individuals, including in-work participants, before their situation may deteriorate to enter and remain in sustainable employment. Equalities All ABEP activities will comply with all Equal Opportunities/Fairer Scotland Duty policies and obligations and the key principles under which the Argyll and Bute CPP is committed to promoting equality (see: Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan 2024-2034 | Argyll and Bute Council (argyll-bute.gov.uk)) For more information, contact: Ishabel Bremner, Economic Growth Manager, Argyll and Bute Council / Chair of the ABEP Tel: 01546 604375 and e-mail: ishabel.bremner@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1: Argyll and Bute Employability Partnership Delivery Plan, 2025-26 ABEP Final Delivery Plan - V6 - 15 Aug 2025.docx