Background Information on Workforce Plus
The formation of the Cabinet Delivery Group on Closing the Opportunity Gap (CtOG) in November 2003 presented an excellent opportunity to evaluate the current position on employability in Scotland and to agree common principles for future direction.
There are now record levels of employment in Scotland, so the dynamics of the labour market are very different from 10-20 years ago. But we still have the challenges of significant areas of economic inactivity and deprivation. Hence one of the major areas of policy work arising from the Cabinet Delivery Group on CtOG was the development of an Employability Framework for Scotland. The work is important for the following reasons:
- There is a growing recognition that employment is for most people the surest way of raising and sustaining themselves out of poverty. It increases the individual's sense of control over their lives, leading to improved health.
- In Scotland we need a greater proportion of people to become "economically active" to support our ageing population, to sustain economic growth; and thus to pay for and provide labour for excellent public services
- Also, as we strive to bring the "harder to help" clients into the labour market, we accept that some of the "usual practices" may no longer be fit for purpose; agencies across the public sector need to get better at working together, with clients and employers, to make a difference
- in doing so, we need to be clear about how to make the best use of our resources, and where the best investments should be made.
Aims and Purpose of Workforce Plus