Today (Thursday 13^th September) sees the first stage in a pilot project to help improve the employability skills of Dundee’s young people.

It is estimated that there will be 500,000 job opportunities in Scotland by the end of 2008 but 1 in 7 teenagers will fall into the NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) category. The Government’s recently published Skills Strategy emphasises the role business has to play in improving skills for the Scottish economy.

Scottish Business in the Community’s “Closing The Gap” is a unique and innovative programme bringing businesses and schools together to raise the employability skills of young people, and reduce the number leaving school to ‘no positive destination’.

The key to the success of this programme is that it brings together business leaders, senior managers and Head Teachers to design an action plan which will address the specific needs of young people in a particular school.

Commenting on the pilot, Scottish Business in the Community’s Youth Employability Manager Lara Friedman said “This pilot is an exciting opportunity for Dundee.  The evidence from Glasgow, where Closing the Gap has been running for four years, proves that, through SBC’s dynamic and sustained leadership, the business community has been able to make a real difference to the ‘no positive destination’ figures for participating schools. Evidence shows over the period from 2003/4 – 2005/6, the interventions offered in Glasgow, through SBC, has reduced the number of NEETS from 20% to 12% across participating schools.”

The pilot will be operating in three schools across the city (Braeview Academy, Craigie High School, Baldragon Academy) and 22 businesses have expressed interest. Chris Van der Kuyl, Chairman of Tayforth Consulting Ltd and a member of the Smith Group, is spearheading the drive to bring businesses and schools into the project.