Social Enterprise Scotland Welcomes Leading Role in New Youth Employment Initiative
Posted: 09 February 2012, in Press Release
Date: Thursday 9 February 2012
Embargo: Immediate
Contact: Duncan Thorp 0131 243 2654 / 07501 221 581 duncan.thorp@socialenterprise.scot
Social Enterprise Scotland welcomes leading role in new youth employment initiative
Social Enterprise Scotland will continue to take a leading role in Community Jobs Scotland, the youth employment programme, after an announcement today by Scottish Government Minister for Youth Employment, Angela Constance MSP.
The sector body that represents social enterprises across Scotland has taken a central role in the scheme over the past year, in partnership with The Scottish Government and SCVO.
The new £6m to create jobs for young people will build on the work from the first phase. In addition a new £2.5m challenge fund for youth employment has been announced, to support the third sector to work with employers.
Fraser Kelly, Acting Chief Executive of Social Enterprise Scotland, said:
“This is a very welcome development to build on the work already completed by Community Jobs Scotland. We’ll ensure that this new initiative gives a wider focus on the needs of young people to get jobs and prepare them for the labour market, together with a focus on support for Third Sector organisations.
“We’re also pleased about the new £2.5m challenge fund for youth employment and we look forward to working with government on the details of social enterprise involvement and how this will work in practice.
“Most importantly this new initiative is good news for Scotland’s young people facing a tough labour market. It’s essential that we harness their talent, provide new opportunities and find innovative solutions to the youth employment challenge.”
Social Enterprise Scotland is an independent, Scottish and member-led organisation, built and controlled by social enterprises across the country.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. Scottish Government press release about the new scheme is here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/02/youthemployment09022012.
2. What is social enterprise? Social enterprises are businesses that trade specifically for social and/or environmental purposes. Social enterprises exist to make a profit just like any private sector business. However, instead of paying dividends to share holders, profits are reinvested into social and environmental purposes. Without making a profit, social enterprises cannot meet their objectives; they must trade, to be sustainable. The more profit made, the more can be invested in the purpose. This more-than-profit approach is used by, for example: Co-operatives and mutuals, Credit Unions, Housing Associations, Social Firms, Development Trusts and Community Interest Companies (CICs), operating in every corner of Scotland and in every sector of the economy.
3. What examples are there? Hebridean Chocolates (Stornoway), The Big Issue, Kibble (Paisley), The Engine Shed (Edinburgh), The Wise Group (Glasgow), Aberdeen Foyer, Bookdonors (Scottish Borders), Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus, Centre of Health and Wellbeing, Link Group Ltd (Edinburgh), Impact Arts, Skye Permaculture Ltd, Institute of Local Television, mediaco-op and North Glasgow Housing Association.
4. What is Social Enterprise Scotland? We are the national collective voice for social enterprise in Scotland. We bring together social enterprises and their supporters into a strong campaigning force, to represent the full range of social enterprises. We raise the profile of social enterprise as a dynamic business model, champion the values and benefits of social enterprise to a broad range of stakeholders and represent the needs and views of social enterprise to policy and decision-makers in Scotland. We are an independent and Scottish membership-led organisation. Membership is open to all social enterprises, their networks and intermediaries and supporters. www.socialenterprise.scot.