This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Football clubs to help disaffected youths
12/02/2007
All 12 Scottish Premier League clubs have teamed up with the Executive to 'Kick Start' a new initiative to help young Scots who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), following a meeting at Bute House in Edinburgh today.
Kick Start sees SPL clubs commit to working with the Scottish government to increase their efforts to provide the type of training and skills that will help young Scots towards jobs.
Programmes run by the clubs already help at least 2,500 youngsters every year. It is hoped Kick Start, supported by £400,000 of Executive funding, will see this number double in the coming years.
Kick Start will also be supported by Microsoft, following Bill Gates' commitment to help tackle the NEET problem during the recent Microsoft Government Leaders' Forum that was held in Scotland.
First Minister Jack McConnell said Kick Start would exploit 'the unique ability of football teams to reach young people who have slipped through the net'.
The FM said:
"Football clubs have a credibility and connection with our young people that is hard to replicate.
"They can provide a learning environment where those who have fallen out of the system can not only feel comfortable, but also be inspired.
"Too many young Scots are slipping through the net, leaving the education system and falling into joblessness. Too many are not engaging in the training or education they need to get into employment.
" But there is a real momentum building behind a shared desire to tackle the problem. Football clubs can play a crucial role and that's why I called them together today.
"Kick Start will be a new and innovative way to connect with this group. It is the kind of fresh thinking we need to make an impact, and change the lives of these young people by inspiring them to take the second chance we're offering."
Kick Start will involve the following:
- stepping up some of the learning programmes already run by clubs and introducing new ones where they don't already exist
- exploring opportunities for work placements, training and job opportunities: clubs are employers with expertise in areas beyond football - marketing, catering transport, and retail for example
- providing role models within clubs to help inspire and motivate our young people
- clubs engaging with local authorities who are leading on NEET to make sure all efforts complement the wider strategy
The Executive'sNEET strategy - More Choices, More Chances - is about ensuring every young person:
gets the best possible start in life
fulfils their potential
is not held back by a lack of ambition (on their part or the part of others); and
can always 'do something' with the right support (so that 'doing nothing' is not an option)