Scottish Enterprise awarded for their commitment to young people
Edinburgh, Scotland (PRWEB UK) 20 February 2015 -- Scottish Enterprise has become one of the first organisations to be recognised for its commitment to employing young people, by being rewarded with the Investors in Young People (IIYP) accreditation on Wednesday (18 February).
An initiative from Investors in People Scotland, the IIYP scheme is supported by £1 million funding from the Scottish Government and to mark the occasion MSP Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham was in attendance, presenting Scottish Enterprise with the accolade.
The MSP commended Scottish Enterprise for its commitment to young people and its strong focus on creating employment and training opportunities. In recent years, Scottish Enterprise has heavily invested in establishing opportunities for young people at the organisation and this includes the launch of a 2 year Graduate Development Programme, an Enterprise Apprentice Programme and a Modern Apprentices scheme.
Speaking at the presentation, Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work Roseanna Cunningham said:
“I am delighted that Scottish Enterprise has been recognised for its commitment to youth employment. Over the last four years SE has introduced a number of youth employment programmes for apprentices, undergraduates and graduates.
“It is the perfect example of all that the public sector should be doing. It offers recruitment and training opportunities and engages with the education system to provide good development opportunities for young people so they can plan ahead and develop long term plans and ambitions.”
IIYP, Scotland’s only people management award focusing on employers’ recruitment and retention of young people, originated through a key recommendation from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, led by Sir Ian Wood. Offered to all businesses across Scotland, the award recognises and supports organisations in the employment of young people.
Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People added: “Scottish Enterprise has really raised the bar with their application and accreditation; we were extremely impressed by their commitment to their young workforce. This is a fantastic achievement for them, and I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the organisation. The Investors in Young People framework not only recognises and supports organisations in the employment of young people, but marks them out as an employer of choice. The benefits of recruiting and developing young people are countless. These include the creation of a talent pool for the future, new and increased skills, fresh eyes and mind-sets into business operations along with enthusiasm and unique talents.”
Lena Wilson, Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise, said: "I am extremely proud that Scottish Enterprise has been able to lead the way in positive youth employment practices, becoming one of the first employers in Scotland to be awarded the Investors in Young People accreditation.
“Achieving this award demonstrates our unwavering commitment to young people and is a culmination of our proactive and strategic approach to increasing the number of young people in our workforce, providing them with high quality work experience, funded education, and sustainable employment.
“Youth employment is a key pillar of our business plan and I am delighted that our work in this area has been recognised in this way.”
For further information about Investors in Young People, please visit http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/investors-young-people.
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For further information please contact Stacey Bridges at Weber Shandwick on [email protected] or 0131 556 6649.
Notes to editors:
About Investors in Young People
• Investors in Young People offers a practical, flexible and easy to use tool to assist in the recognition and support in recruitment, training and retention of young people.
• The Investors in Young People framework responds to a need to bring young people into the workplace and the difference in recruitment, support, management and development that young people require.
Kenny Pattie, Investors in People Scotland, http://www.iipscotland.co.uk, +44 1316250155, [email protected]
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