Regional Employability Practitioner Event : Making Connections

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our third Regional Employability Practitioner Event. Based on feedback from last year's event, we have increased the number of workshops available to provide more opportunities for delegates to share best practice, learn from colleagues across the region, and expand their professional networks.

Once you have registered, you will be invited to select up to four workshops to attend. We encourage you to take this opportunity to explore different areas of employability, gain new insights, and share experiences and good practice from your own local authority

Key Worker Conference : Workshops

Early Learning & Childcare Pathway for Parents - East Lothian

This workshop will showcase East Lothian Works' Early Learning and Childcare Pathway, developed in partnership with Edinburgh College and East Lothian Council's Education Service. The pathway supports parents into the sector through introductory training, accredited qualifications and paid work placements, helping them gain the skills and experience needed for employment.

The session will explore the pathway's development and evolution, including progression opportunities up to SCQF Level 8, while highlighting successful outcomes, challenges and key lessons learned in creating a sustainable employability route into the sector.

Job Creation Scheme - Edinburgh

Edinburgh will present a workshop on our Job Creation scheme paid work placements, which provides six-month paid work placements for people aged 16+ facing barriers to employment. Funded through the Edinburgh Guarantee and paid above the Real Living Wage, placements offer opportunities to gain skills, retrain and build confidence across a range of council services.

The session will highlight the support provided to participants and departments, successful employment outcomes, and how the programme achieves an impressive 80% progression rate into sustainable employment. Attendees will also hear about the latest cohort of 43 participants joining the scheme.

Turnaround - Employability for those with justice service experience - Fife

Turnaround is a specialist employability programme delivered through a partnership between Fife Council Supported Employment Service, Perth & Kinross Council and Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT). The service supports individuals with current or recent justice service experience, including prison leavers, individuals subject to community orders, and those experiencing multiple disadvantages such as poor mental health, addiction, homelessness and long-term unemployment.

Construction Pathway for young people - Midlothian

This workshop will give staff an overview of the Midlothian Council Construction Skills Pathway and the support available to young people who are looking to develop new skills within the construction sector.

The pathway provides a tailored roadmap to sustainable employment, CSCS and construction training in our Loanhead Vocational Learning Centre and targeted work experience to help young people secure sustainable employment, apprenticeships or do further/higher education.

The session will cover the training on offer, skills development, employability support, and potential routes into employment available through the pathway.

Bridge to Health Care - Scottish Borders

Bridge to Health Care is a partnership between NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council’s Employability Service. The programme supports parents into NHS careers through a combination of training and paid work experience.

In the last financial year, two 12-week cohorts supported 16 parents, providing six weeks of classroom-based training followed by a six-week paid placement in an NHS setting. Participants completed mandatory healthcare training, employability workshops, and NHS-specific application and interview preparation.

The workshop will cover how the placements and training were designed and implemented as well as outcomes achieved and next steps for the programme.

Parental Employment Approach - Self-Employment - West Lothian

This adviser-led workshop will explore West Lothian’s approach to supporting parents into self-employment. It will provide an overview of the partnership with Business Gateway, alongside the training and employability provision available to support customers considering self-employment.

The workshop will also cover the processes for accessing funding, helping advisers to understand the referral pathways and resources available to support parents to explore and progress their self-employment goals.

Description supplied by the event organiser.