Employability in Scotland Digital Conference

Friday 26th March 2021    (FULL DAY EVENT)

Digital Event, Broadcast Live

Key Points
  • Scottish National Employability Strategy: Exploring national initiatives aimed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on unemployment
  • Employability at Local Levels: Designing and delivering employability provision through co-production and multi-agency partnerships
  • Young People and Employability: Connecting young people to work-based learning opportunities to boost employability skills and aspirations
  • Health and Employability: Creating a fair and inclusive Scotland by removing health-related barriers to employment
  • Ex-offenders and Employability: Preventing criminalisation and supporting ex-offenders to acquire and sustain long-term employment
  • Click Here to Secure your Place
Overview
Speakers Include:

  • Sandy Begbie CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Financial Enterprise
  • Senior Representative, Directorate for Fair Work, Employability and Skills, The Scottish Government
  • Grant Alexander, Chair & Employability Development Officer, Third Sector Employability Forum & Link Group
  • Elin Williamson, Business Growth and Inclusion Senior Manager, The City of Edinburgh Council
  • Mary Pender, Global Head of Talent, Standard Life Aberdeen
  • Rona Hunter, Chief Executive Officer, Capital City Partnership (CCP)
  • Robin Turner, Chief Executive Officer, Routes to Work
  • Jamie Rutherford, Director of Employment, ENABLE Scotland
  • Graeme Henderson, Director of Delivery and Strategic Development, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH)
  • Phyl Meyers, Head of Business Development, Inclusion Scotland
  • Mike Strang, Director of Operations, Ventures Trust
  • Morven Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Disability Equality Scotland
  • Annie Mauger-Thompson, Chief Executive, Sacro
  • Alan Staff, Chief Executive, APEX Scotland
  • Sean Duffy, Chief Executive, Wise Group
  • Pamela Morrison, Practice Development Advisor – Restorative Justice, Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ)

    Scotland's unemployment rate is now the highest among all the UK nations demonstrating the scale of the challenge facing Scotland as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Mitigating the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on a range of demographics is paramount to Scotland’s employability strategy.

    Holyrood Insight’s Employability in Scotland Digital Conference will feature contributions from national and local government representatives, employers and third sector organisations. This conference will explore how Scotland can collaboratively tackle unemployability, stimulate businesses and provide fair, inclusive and sustainable work for all. We will review the progress of Fair Start Scotland and Youth Guarantee schemes, and particular focus will be given to tackling youth unemployment, removing health and disability related barriers and rehabilitating ex-offenders.

    Join us to explore how organisations across Scotland are successfully upskilling unemployed workers to plug regional skill gaps, stimulate economic recovery and support local employers. Learn from leading organisations how to combat worklessness through effective multi-agency co-production, providing comprehensive employability provision city and county-wide.

    This event will particularly appeal to representatives from central government, local authorities, the third sector organisations, health and social care organisations, criminal justice groups, employers and any other organisation seeking to promote and participate in fair and inclusive employability.

Agenda
Start

09:15 - 09:30
Chair’s Opening Remarks

 
Speakers

Grant Alexander Chair & Employability Development Officer, Thirds Sector Employability Forum & Link Group

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09:30 - 10:00
Keynote Address: Building a Fair, Inclusive and Skilled Scotland

 
  • Exploring national responses to mitigate the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on a range of demographics to ensure no one is left behind
  • Exploring how Fair Scotland is collaboratively tackling unemployment, stimulating growth and providing fair work for all
  • Understanding the impact of the Job Retention Scheme ending in March 2021
09:50 – 10:00 Questions and Discussions
Speakers

Senior Representative Directorate for Fair Work, Employability and Skills, The Scottish Government

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10:00 - 10:30
Transitioning Scotland – Building an Inclusive, Upskilled and Future-Proofed Workforce

 
  • Identifying labour markets which are shrinking and those growing with in-demand skills
  • Exploring the role unemployed workers play in plugging national skill gaps, stimulating economic recovery and supporting national goals such as a ‘Net-Zero Scotland’
  • Discussing the use of the National Transition Training Fund in tackling unemployment in Scotland
  • Reviewing challenges and solutions to delivering initiatives which upskill and transition workers into new employment
10:20 – 10:30 Questions and Discussions

10:30 - 11:20
Multi Agency Case Study: Delivering Employability Provision at a Local Level

 
  • Exploring the role of multi-agency collaboration in delivering a fair, inclusive and skilled Edinburgh
  • Supporting worklessness through partnerships to deliver a comprehensive web of employability provision city-wide
  • Aligning organisations under the same agenda to collectively remove employability barriers, overcome challenges, and source solutions
11:15 – 11:30 Questions and Discussions
Speakers

Elin Williamson Business Growth and Inclusion Senior Manager, The City of Edinburgh Council

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Mary Pender Global Head of Talent, Standard Life Aberdeen

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Rona Hunter Chief Executive Officer, Capital City Partnership (CCP)

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11:20 - 11:50
Intermission

 

11:50 - 12:20
The Youth Guarantee – Creating Sustainable Employability Opportunities for Young People in Scotland

 
  • Reviewing the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and how employers can be involved
  • Exploring the role of the Youth Guarantee in mitigating the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on young people
  • Creating work opportunities through apprenticeships, paid internships and work experience to prepare young people for the world of work
  • Providing enriching employability opportunities to young people who face barriers to work to meet the pledge of a fairer and more inclusive Scotland
  • Delivering long lasting impact through workplace support to enable young people to meet their full potential
12:10 – 12:20 Questions and Discussions
Speakers

Sandy Begbie CBE Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Financial Enterprise

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12:20 - 13:05
Case Studies: Boosting Young People’s Employability

 
  • Responding to gaps in national policy and provision to meet the needs and priorities of young people locally in both urban and rural localities
  • Aligning learning, training and employment opportunities through multi-agency partnerships to prevent gaps in employability provision and deliver support for all young people including those most disadvantaged
  • Sharing challenges and solutions to digitalising employability provision and supporting remotely
  • Increasing the competitiveness of young people through the use of work-based learning opportunities
12:50 – 13:05 Questions and Discussions
Speakers

Robin Turner Chief Executive Officer, Routes to Work

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Mike Strang Chief Executive Officer, Venture Trust

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13:05 - 13:45
Intermission

 

13:45 - 14:45
Panel Discussion: Health, Disability and Employability – Removing Barriers to Employment

 
  • Exploring how new ways of working provides barriers to employment and intersects with health concerns
  • Sharing best practice in integrating health and work services to wider networks of employability provision
  • Discussing the widening disability employment gap and the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on the disabled community and individuals with long-lasting health conditions
  • Reviewing the role businesses and inclusive recruitment has within a wider matrix of employability provision
  • Integrating employability services with Health and Social Care for people engaging in substance misuse
Speakers

Morven Brooks CEO, Disability Equality Scotland

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Phyl Meyers Head of Business Development, Inclusion Scotland

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Graeme Henderson Director of Delivery and Strategic Development, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

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Jamie Rutherford Director of Employment, ENABLE Scotland

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14:45 - 15:00
Intermission

 

15:00 - 15:55
Panel Discussion: Supporting Ex-Offenders to Acquire and Sustain Work

 
  • Adopting a public health approach to reduce offending and reoffending through early intervention and prevention
  • Exploring the challenges and solutions to supporting individuals with convictions become work-ready
  • Delivering long-term support to empower ex-offenders to sustain employment and achieve long lasting outcomes
  • Exploring opportunities for early partnership with prison industries and the challenges delivering support within prison settings
Speakers

Pamela Morrison Practice Development Advisor - Restorative Justice, Children and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ)

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Annie Mauger-Thompson Chief Executive Officer, Sacro

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Sean Duffy Chief Executive Officer, Wise Group

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Alan Staff Chief Executive, APEX Scotland

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15:55 - 16:00
Chair’s Closing Remarks

 
Speakers

Grant Alexander Chair & Employability Development Officer, Thirds Sector Employability Forum & Link Group

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End
Speakers

Senior Representative Directorate for Fair Work, Employability and Skills, The Scottish Government

Read profile

Grant Alexander Chair & Employability Development Officer, Thirds Sector Employability Forum & Link Group

Read profile

Sandy Begbie CBE Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Financial Enterprise

Read profile

Morven Brooks CEO, Disability Equality Scotland

Read profile

Sean Duffy Chief Executive Officer, Wise Group

Read profile

Graeme Henderson Director of Delivery and Strategic Development, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH)

Read profile

Rona Hunter Chief Executive Officer, Capital City Partnership (CCP)

Read profile

Annie Mauger-Thompson Chief Executive Officer, Sacro

Read profile

Phyl Meyers Head of Business Development, Inclusion Scotland

Read profile

Pamela Morrison Practice Development Advisor - Restorative Justice, Children and Young People's Centre for Justice (CYCJ)

Read profile

Mary Pender Global Head of Talent, Standard Life Aberdeen

Read profile

Jamie Rutherford Director of Employment, ENABLE Scotland

Read profile

Alan Staff Chief Executive, APEX Scotland

Read profile

Mike Strang Chief Executive Officer, Venture Trust

Read profile

Robin Turner Chief Executive Officer, Routes to Work

Read profile

Elin Williamson Business Growth and Inclusion Senior Manager, The City of Edinburgh Council

Read profile

Venue details

Digital Event Broadcast Live

Speakers
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