FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This section hopes to answer some of our more frequently asked questions.
More Choices, More Chances (MCMC)
Why a More Choices, More Chances Strategy for Scotland?
Why are young people in need of more choices and chances a priority?
Who are the priority groups?
How is More Choices, More Chances tackling this problem?
How are these messages being taken forward?
Where can I find the More Choices, More Chances Strategy ?
How does More Choices. More Chances link to Workforce Plus an Employability Framework for Scotland?
Why only 10 More Choices, More Chances Hotspots?
What are the aims of the More Choices, More Chances Strategy Approach?
Where can I find out what is happening in Local Authorities?
What is Post-School Psychological Services?
What is the role of Post School Psychological Services (PSPS) in delivering more choices and chances?
Why a More Choices, More Chances Strategy for Scotland?
It is the Scottish Government's objective to eradicate the problem of young people needing more choices and chances the length and breadth of Scotland . This is a national priority demanding an national effort and our engagement with Scotland's business people is absolutely central to this effort. There are 32,000 (12.4%) young people in Scotland between the ages of 16 and 19 needing more choices and chances. The proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training has been an intransigent issue and, despite considerable investment and effort, remains unresolved. The Scottish Government must maintain the momentum and continue providing added value to local authorities.
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Why are young people in need of more choices and chances a priority?
These young people have been failed by the system. They need more choices and chances to find their own route to success.
Frequent and prolonged spells of disengagement at age 16-19 are associated with long-term unemployment and lifelong disadvantage for individuals and communities. There remain too many young people who don't have the chance to flourish personally or contribute to growing our economy.
Stimulating our young people to remain in education, employment or training post-16 is the best way of ensuring their long term employability and contribution to society
The cross-party consensus on reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training allows us to move forward together in making Scotland a wealthier and fairer place to live and to grow up.
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Who are the priority groups?
There are two types of young people that we consider a priority:
- Those who are not in education, employment or training over an extended period;
- Those who have frequent spells of disengagement between short, episodes of labour market engagement. We know that, for example:
- 80% have low or no qualifications.
- Approximately two thirds are claiming benefit.
- Of those 16-19 claiming benefits, 42% (8,300) had been claiming for 6 months or more.
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How is More Choices, More Chances tackling this problem?
- Leadership and ownership of the problem at a local and national level
- Co-ordinating efforts across government to address this current waste of human potential
- Recognising that economic imperatives drive this agenda just as much as social inclusion
- Through education and training, rather than employment without training, which are the priority outcomes, given the low attainment of these young people
- Ensuring learning is a financially viable option, in order to remove financial barriers in progressing towards the labour market
- A responsive system post-16 with plenty of choices and no one written off as a failure because they don't succeed at first
- A renewed focus on where our school leavers go: school leaver destinations and better tracking of young people's progress beyond school
- More intensive employability support in and alongside schools: to better prepare all young people for the world of work and improve school leaver destinations.
- Ensuring changes to the Scottish education system will improve: skills for learning; vocational skills and skills for life; attainment and broader achievement; and attendance and staying on rates for all young people.
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How are these messages being taken forward?
- The Scottish Government has made clear its commitment to encouraging all young people to stay in learning post-16.
- National indicator to increase the proportion of school leavers in positive and sustained destinations, building on More Choices, More Chances and our skills strategy, Skills for Scotland, and wider policy including the Additional Support for Learning Act will guide work by local authorities and their partners
Local partnerships are being encouraged to:
- Ensure that the local More Choices, More Chances delivery plan brings transformational change through wider pre- and post-16 strategies, including their use of the Fairer Scotland Fund
- have a more detailed understanding of the make-up of the particular groups of young people most likely to need more choices and chances and prevalent local issues
- identify what works and why and opportunities to build on this, based on a shared understanding of the service delivery infrastructure (who funds what, what it delivers and for whom, and the performance of local services)
- identify weaknesses in pre-16 and post-16 provision, including gaps and duplication;
- ensure young people have access to more varied and engaging vocational options to better prepare them for the world of work
- strengthen the employability focus and skills of a range of specialist services - including social work, health, housing
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Where can I find the More Choices, More Chances Strategy ?
Click on the link to take you to More Choices, More Chances
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How does More Choices. More Chances link to Workforce Plus an Employability Framework for Scotland?
The More Choices, More Chances Strategy and Employability Framework are complementary, coherent in their aim and have underlying principles (entering the labour market as a realistic option for those who are currently furthest away from it through appropriately designed support and opportunities), but with important differences in terms of scope and audience (this strategy's emphasis on prevention, with related action for the pre 16 system)
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Why on 10 More Choices, More Chances Hotspots?
The original 7 More Choices, More Chances hotspot areas were Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde and Dundee. In December 2007, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop, MSP gave approval for a further 3 hotspot areas - they are Falkirk, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian.
While we have identified these 10 areas where targetted action will make a substantive difference, we make clear that we need action from all parties in every local authority in the country.
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What are the aims of the More Choices, More Chances Strategy Approach?
The overarching aims of the strategy are to:
Stem the flows into More Choices, More Chances - prevention rather than cure;
Have a system-wide (pre and post 16) focus on, ambitions for, ownership of - and accountability for the More Choices, More Chances Group;
Prioritise education and training outcomes for the More Choices, More Chances group as a step towards lifelong employability, given their low attainment profile;
Position More Choices, More Chances reduction as one of the key indicators for measuring the pre and post 16 systems' success.
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Where can I find out what is happening in Local Authorities?
Links to the Local Authority website and details for lead More Choices, More Chances contact in these areas can be found here .
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What is Post-School Psychological Services?
Local Authority Educational Psychological Services focus on the school age population (0-16; 19 years in the case of young people at special schools). The Beattie Committee recommended continued access to psychological service support for young people with additional needs. More Choices, More Chances published in June 2006 recommended that the Scottish Government build improvements into policies and practices at points of transition and across the post-16 sector. Although in its infancy, Education Psychology Services across the board are being strengthened by the extension of local authority psychological services to post-school. Post School Psychological Services through work with individual young people and organisations, are making an important contribution to improving interventions and sharpening up practice by developing skills of professionals from different disciplines (eg Get Ready for Work training providers, Careers Scotland key workers and further education teaching and support staff) and advising on strategies for meeting the needs of particular More Choices, More Chances sub-groups. Further information can be found at the Post School Psychological Serviceslink within these webpages.
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What is the role of Post School Psychological Services (PSPS) in delivering more choices and chances?
Ministers recognise important contribution of Post School Psychological Services in delivery of the national indicator (to increase the proportion of school leavers in positive and sustained destinations), by promoting partnership working and ensuring a stronger focus on improving interventions and outcomes for all vulnerable young people at the point of transition from school and beyond.
Includes implementation of the statutory measures in the ASL Act which HMIE identified in its recent evaluation as a key area for improvement. Post-school transition remains a top priority for Post School Psychologicl Services.
The impact of Pathfinder activity, evident in ongoing practice sharing at cluster and national levels and in supporting local More Choices, More Chances planning and delivery, reflects innovative use of the EP resource and wide application of the Currie roles.
The emphasis to date, shaped by the dynamic policy context over the last 4 years, has been to deploy these roles in support of strategic working. The strategic focus of Post School Psychological Services, including effective connection with More Choices, More Chances at authority level, is regarded as critical over the next three years for all Services.
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Beattie
Why was the Beattie Committee set up?
What did the Committee recommend?
What funding was made available to take forward the recommendations and how was it used?
How many inclusiveness projects were there over the period 2001-2004?
Where can I read about the findings of the interim and final evaluations?
Why was the Beattie Committee set up?
The Beattie Committee was set up to examine the needs of young people who require additional support to make the transition to post-school education and training, or employment. These are the young people who need more choices and chances.
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What did the Committee recommend?
The underlying principle and core recommendation of the Committee's report was Inclusiveness. The vision of Inclusiveness is that young people should be able to have their needs, abilities and aspirations recognised, understood and met within a supportive environment which encourages them to achieve their goals and to make real, measurable progress.
Further information can be found at The Beattie Report Summary.
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What funding was made available to take forward the recommendations and how was it used?
£22.6 million was made available by the Scottish Executive, over the period March 2001 to April 2004. It was allocated as follows:
- £15.1 million for multi-agency inclusiveness projects designed to improve the skills and employability of Scotland's most disadvantaged young people, and to assist them to reach their full potential; to improve assessment and tracking, and for the development of Key Worker support;
- £4.5 million to take forward recommendations in the Further Education sector; and
- £3 million for development work including the pilot of educational psychological services for 16-24 year olds and monitoring; a National Review of Assessment Tools; mentoring; supported employment and a three-year National evaluation and monitoring project on the projects.
- Scottish Executive Ministers approved the continuation of funding to Careers Scotland for the continuation of Key Worker Support in September 2003. Continued funding to the FE Sector will ensure on-going development of the Inclusiveness Agenda.
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How many inclusiveness projects were there over the period 2001-2004?
There were 13 projects, managed by Careers Scotland, across Scotland which started at differing times throughout 2001.
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Where can I read about the findings of the interim and final evaluations of the Careers Scotland Inclusiveness Projects?
The Interim Inclusiveness Evaluation Report, Case Studies, Executive Summaryare available here
The final evaluation report (and appendices) can be found here SE Inclusiveness Final Report, Inclusiveness Appendices Report.
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