Flatlining EMAs and Reductions in College Budgets Bad News for Our Young People

At a time when there aren't many jobs in Dundee available to school leavers, gaining more qualifications can make a crucial difference to securing a job or place in further training. The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was designed to help more 16-19 year olds either stay on at school beyond S4 or sign up for a course at a Further Education College and gain those qualifications.

The EMA is available to eligible 16-19 year olds and is worth £30 per week.

The recent release of figures for EMAs awarded by the Scottish government shows a decline over the last four years rather than an increase in Dundee.

This adds up to a reduction in the number of students from low income households who are staying on at school or doing a College course. At a time when youth unemployment in our city is stubbornly high, this reduction in EMAs is a backward step.

The SNP in Scotland has already cut spending on further education colleges like Dundee College and they are now planning to cut another £50 million from the budget for Colleges over the next 2 years. As a result, the number of teaching staff, courses and places will be cut, and the ability of the colleges to help more students improve their skills and job opportunities will be reduced.” 

Taken together these reductions in EMAs and cuts in College budgets are bad news for our young people.

Councillor Lesley Brennan said: The economy and the community benefit from investing in students staying on at school or going to college to improve their qualifications and skills. Previous research has estimated that the net economic benefit to Scotland from the work of colleges could be at least £1.3 billion a year. For every £1 invested in colleges, an estimated £3.20 is generated in assets. I know that many young people in the East End Ward would benefit from the personal advantage that comes from staying on at school or doing a training course at College. Not only would each student gain, but it would also give a handsome payback to us all in Dundee.

Commenting on Dundee School Leavers' Destinations

Click on image to enlarge

On Friday the Scottish Government published a snap shot of statistics about the 'destination' of school leavers from the last complete school year: August 2011-June 2012. Based on information available in September 2012, these figures provide some insight to how our school leavers are doing. More specifically they let us know how many and what proportion of our school leavers in Dundee went from school into 'a positive destination'; a job, a place at University or College or work based training such as an apprenticeship.

While more detailed figures will be published in June this year, the picture emerging from the provisional figures shows that Dundee has the third lowest proportion of school leavers going directly to University. At the same time, it has the highest proportion of young people leaving school and going on directly to Further Education College. From previous experience we know that a proportion of those young people who leave school and go to College will later gain the qualifications and the confidence to progress to University. 

Overall nine out of ten of our school leavers in Dundee are going into work, training or education upon leaving school. This is very marginally above the Scottish average of 89.9 per cent.

There is clearly no room for complacency in our schools. It would be good to see more of our school leavers having gained university entrance qualifications right first time.

If you want to read the full national picture you can read or download the two published tables using the following link
Initial School Leaver Destinations 2011-12

1 in 6 Dundee School Leavers Leave to Unemployment

Yesterday the Scottish Government published statistics on the Destinations of School Leavers last summer. These figures show that one in seven young people (nationally) and one in six in Dundee left school and were immediately unemployed.

  

These statistics underline the need for the SNP government to redouble its efforts to tackle youth unemployment which remains stubbornly high.

Locally, I urge the SNP Education Convener in Dundee to ensure that we drive up standards so our young people can compete for the places in higher or further education and job vacancies as these arise. As well as exam results, we must also focus on enhancing employability and readiness for the world of work. We can't afford another lost generation, like the 1980s, when young people are sentenced to long term unemployment.