Informal learning for young people

Youth Participation

Our service supports young people aged 10 - 25 in a variety of contexts. We offer a range of learning and development opportunities to young people in the following settings:

• Community based youth work
• Thematic youth work
• Detached youth work
• Schools work
• Accreditation: Hi5, Dynamic Youth Awards and Youth Achievement Awards
• Duke of Edinburgh
• Democracy and Citizenship
• Young Scot
• LGBT
• Volunteering
• MSYP
• Stay Period Protected

Youth Participation Team works with young people to enable them to:

• become more confident, resilient and optimistic
• manage personal, social and formal relationships
• create, describe and apply their learning and skills
• participate safely and effectively in groups
• consider risk, make reasoned decisions and take control
• express their voice and demonstrate social commitment
• broaden their perspectives through new experiences and thinking

(National Youth Work Outcomes)

All young people who wish to participate in the services provided by the team need to become members.

Membership form

For more information email SPandYP@stirling.gov.uk

Some young people, particularly those who are further from employment, require extra support and flexible pathways to help them get and keep a job that they enjoy.

Opportunities for All brings together a range of existing national and local policies that can improve a young person’s sustained participation in post-16 learning, training and employment. Stirling Council and our partners work together to improve opportunities for all Stirling citizens aged 16-20 years.

No One Left Behind aims to ensure that:

• the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) practice model is used to identify strengths and needs
• learning and training suits each individual and enables progression onto sustained employment
• learning matches local, regional and national labour markets and contributes to local economic development
• learning is appropriately accredited – everyone can get the qualifications they need
• provision offered by colleges and partners pays attention to those at risk of disengaging after school and offers sustained progression
• tracking and monitoring are supported by Skills Development Scotland but led by individual institutions improving data collection, collation and sharing

The Stirling Council Employment of Children Byelaws are designed to protect young people under school leaving age. It ensures that any employment they undertake is suitable, and defines the maximum number of hours that may be worked in any day or week.

How it works

1. The prospective employer provides some information about the workplace, including the days and hours worked, and confirms they have carried out a risk assessment.
2. The parent confirms the details of the child, gives consent for the child to work and confirms the child's health.
3. The form is submitted to the child’s school for approval.

The form must be submitted to the school within a week of employment starting.

The school will need to be satisfied that:

• the employment is suitable for the child in terms of the byelaws and within the restriction on hours
• the health, welfare or ability to take full advantage of the child’s education will not be jeopardised
• the child is fit to undertake the work for which he or she is to be employed

The headteacher or member of the school’s senior management team will issue a work permit if they are satisfied that these requirements can be met. The school may revoke or amend a work permit where the child is being employed unlawfully or they believe that the child's health, welfare or education is suffering as a result of the employment.

Application for employment permit