Background information

The Scottish Government’s Youth Guarantee states: “We will guarantee to every young person aged between 16 and 24 in Scotland the opportunity, based on their own personal circumstances and ambitions, of going to university or college, an apprenticeship programme, training, fair employment including work experience, or participating in a formal volunteering programme.”
 
Scottish Government has distributed funding to partners including local authorities and colleges to deliver the programme.
 
Many young people will identify for themselves opportunities as part of the Youth Guarantee. But for a small cohort, furthest from the labour market, identifying opportunities will be particularly challenging.
 
We also recognise that managing volunteers is not a free activity – it requires time and dedication on the part of host organisations, particularly where people are less ready for work.  That is why small grants of approximately £400 per participant are available in recognition of the extra time that will be involved.