Scotland's care experienced young people need more help to get modern apprenticeships – Tony Scally

A care-experienced, modern apprenticeship bursary to help with living costs, as available in England and Wales, should be introduced in Scotland

Modern apprenticeships cover a wide range of careers, such as engineering, agriculture and stonemasonry (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The story of care-experienced young people and apprenticeships in Scotland is one of wasted talent and missed opportunities. I’ve seen the heights that these young people can achieve when provided the right support for their transition out of the care system. Yet far too many don’t receive this and fall through the cracks of conflicting systems.

Care-experienced individuals are nearly 20 times more likely to be criminalised than their non-care experienced counterparts, and in Scotland three-quarters leave school before the age of 16 while two-thirds don’t secure a qualification at SCQF level 5 or above. These factors create complex employment barriers, and often significant challenges later in life.

That’s why modern apprenticeships play an important role. It allows care-experienced young people the chance to develop their skills through practical learning while earning a wage. Apprenticeships in Scotland cut across all sectors, including hospitality, creative media, engineering, agriculture, and sports – and are jobs which offer some financial independence as well as a route to an industry-recognised qualification.

Unfulfilled potential

Despite this potential, last year only 2.1 per cent of young people starting a modern apprenticeship in Scotland identified as care-experienced – that’s 252 out of the 12,136 young people starting. Alongside this low uptake, the other challenge is the completion rate for those with care experience is 59 per cent compared with 72 per cent of those non-care experienced, with a 13 per cent achievement gap.

Behind these numbers are real young people who face barriers to getting into and staying in work and seeking qualifications. They face a range of inequalities exacerbated by inconsistent advice and support, stuck in a system which isn’t helping them reach their potential. So, that system must change. For the past year, I chaired a group for the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board’s Employer Equalities Group, looking into exactly how to do it.

Our findings, published in January, are a major, comprehensive review of how our systems – like benefits and housing – need to change and work for young people, across local and national government, employers, and the national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, Among the changes we need to see, financial support has an important role. In Scotland, we recommend introducing a care-experienced, modern apprenticeship bursary to help with living costs and bring us into line with England and Wales.

However, financial support is only one part. We know that the completion of an apprenticeship and wider employment goals often hinges on these young people having a strong positive influence through out-of-work, mentoring support. That’s why we need a coordinated drive to ensure it’s available, including employers partnering with councils or charities to provide mentoring plus sector groups building a clear evidence base of its impact.

With these first steps and the many more outlined in our report, it’s time to rewrite the story of care-experienced young people and apprenticeships to one of potential fulfilled.

Tony Scally is the national lead for employability service development at Action for Children and a member of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board Employer Equalities Group