Democracy Spraffa

Skills Development Scotland

Argyll and Bute Council · 6 September 2023
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee — 6 September 2023 and its agenda

Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.

Original council PDF · Download plain text

Page 1

Skills Development Scotland 
Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Update 
August 2023

Page 2

Service Delivery in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands
School Service Offer 
Campbeltown Grammar, Islay High School, Lochgilphead Joint Campus and Tarbert Academy
Our careers advisers work delivering career guidance to enable young people from S1-S6 to develop their
Career Management Skills via a range of group work and 1-1 coaching conversations. We work closely with
our partners within the school to identify young people who are considered most at risk of not making a
positive progression from school. Helping those young people to develop their career management skills and
move onto education, employment, or training when they leave school.  For more information click this link
What We Do - Scotland’s Career Service   
Update 
School Leaver Destinations Follow Up
Over the school holidays we are currently contacting all school leavers from Campbeltown Grammar, Islay
High School, Lochgilphead Joint Campus and Tarbert Academy (approx.200 pupils) to ensure that they
have secured a positive destination post leaving school and offer support to any that haven’t. 
 These results will be published by the Scottish Government sometime in the new year.
 Please click here to see last year’s results.Scottish Government School Leaver Destinations.
Exam Results Helpline
Almost 145,000 learners across Scotland will receive their SQA results on Tuesday 8 August 2023
Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) Results Helpline will be there to offer information, advice and
guidance to Scotland’s young people and their parents and carers. 
The SDS Results Helpline number is 0808 100 8000 – this goes live on results day and SDS’s expert
advisers will have access to information on course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, Confirmation
and Clearing, advice about Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships and jobs, volunteering,
training, or staying on at school. 
The 2023 Results Helpline opening hours are: 
 Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 August - 8am to 8pm 
 Thursday 10 and Friday 11 August – 9am to 5pm  
Post School Service Offer
Our Next Steps service supports young people aged 16 – 18 (extended to 26 for care experienced young
people) who are unemployed, helping them to build up their career management skills and move on to and
sustain a range of options as appropriate. We also offer a service to any adult who wishes to develop their
career management and employability skills and move into employment or support a career change. 
Individuals can access face to face help at our local centres;
Campbeltown, 40 Hall Street, PA28 6BU (based within JobCentre Plus). Please contact 01586 552795 for
an appointment. 
Islay, Islay High School, Flora Street, Bowmore, PA43 7JY. Please contact 01496 545 990 for an
appointment.
We also can offer virtual and telephone support if required.

Page 3

PACE: Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) 
PACE is the Scottish Government’s initiative dedicated to responding to redundancy situations. Through
providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected
by redundancy are out of work. PACE brings together 24 organisations, together with the Scottish
Government to provide free and impartial advice, guidance and support for individuals affected by
redundancy. Our PACE activity is co-ordinated by our Chair Pamela Little. 
Update
 In the current quarter of the financial year, we have had limited PACE activity.  Please contact
pacenationalteam@sds.co.uk for any further information 
Annual Participation Measure
The Annual Participation Measure (APM) reports on the education and employment activity of 16 to 19 year
olds in Scotland. It is the source of the Scottish government's national performance indicator “Percentage of
young adults 16 to 19 year olds participating in education, training or employment”. 
The APM method takes account of all status of 16- to 19-year-olds in Scotland over one calendar year from
the 1st of April to the 31st of March. We report on if they are participating, not participating and unconfirmed
is based on which status an individual spent to the greatest numbers of days within the year. 
See below the Annual Participation Measure from 2022 
Update 
 The 2023 Annual Participation Measure if due to be published on 31st August. 
 This link will take you to the where the information will be published Link to Annual Participation
Measure

Page 4

Local Partnership Support
SDS local teams are involved in supporting the following partnerships.
 DYW – supporting our DYW colleagues with employer events in schools. 
 Local Employability Partnership - member of the LEP
 Corporate Parent responsibilities – supporting Corporate Parent Board and working closely
with the Through Care Forums
 CLD – supporting CLD Partnership Board
 Community Justice – member of Community Justice Board 
Skills Development Scotland - General Update
Review of Skills Landscape Published
Scottish Government has published the report and recommendations from the Independent Review of the
Skills Delivery Landscape. It was led by James Withers, formerly Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink.
This report follows consultation, a call for evidence and submissions from a range of stakeholders.
The full report and recommendations are available here Fit for Future: developing a post school learning
system to fuel economic transformation  
Employer Support
Skills Development Scotland works directly with employers across Scotland, providing trusted advice that
helps employers invest in existing skills, develop new talent using equal and inclusive recruitment, and get
the right products to grow their business. 
Update
 Find out more at our new employer hub SDS Employer Hub or contacting us on 0800 783 6000 
Local contact
Susan MacRae  Area Manager  Argyll & Bute and Eilean Siar 
susan.macrae@sds.co.uk 
Further information 
skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk - Corporate Website
myworldofwork.co.uk - for all your work, skills and learning needs
apprenticeships.scot - for all the latest on apprenticeships