Discover Work Annual Report

Efforts that Dundee partners are undertaking to support local people to get into or progress in work will be showcased to councillors.  

An annual report on the Discover Work Strategy and Action Plan shows how local agencies have been delivering initiatives across the city. 

There are updates on recent achievements of the Employability Pathway programme as well as the specific efforts to help young people through the approach called “A Step Change in Positive Destinations for Young Dundonians”. 

These include a campaign to encourage people to take up a career as a childminder as well as the establishment of Core Implementation Groups at every secondary school and offsite education including the Rockwell centre. The groups help to manage the transition of young people at the greatest risk of leaving school and not entering a positive destination.  

Through a range of interventions, over 1400 people were assisted by the city’s Employability Pathway in the year 2024-25, with almost 600 entering a positive destination and three-quarters sustaining a positive destination for at least twelve months.   

The annual report updates explains how participation of young people in Dundee has never been higher, the percentage of care experienced school leavers entering a positive destination has increased by 41%, and the Youth Unemployment rate (16-24) has decreased by 9%.   

Discover Work is Dundee’s Local Employability Partnership.   

It is a multi-agency approach and members include Skills Development Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, the Department for Work and Pensions, Dundee City Council, Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, Dundee Volunteer & Voluntary Action (Third Sector Interface), Developing the Young Workforce, Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Tayside, Business Gateway, and Social Security Scotland.   

Cllr Steven Rome, convener of City Growth and Infrastructure said: “The city council is continuously improving its employability support to be more effective at helping people to gain skills, while also assisting local employers to attract appropriately qualified and motivated staff.     

“The world of work has changed beyond recognition in the last few years, and it is vital that our employability services can help people overcome challenges and improve their prospects.     

“The entire Discover Work Partnership is determined to make a real difference to people’s lives by providing the right support to get them into employment and, crucially, sustain them there.   

“I am pleased to see this report highlighting the partnership’s achievements last year while also underlining its determination to focus on more positive results in the future.”   

The City Growth and Infrastructure Committee meets on Monday November 17.