West Lothian Council is set to invest nearly £3 million over the next year in a series of employment initiatives sponsored by the Scottish Government. The funding, part of the No One Left Behind programme, is designed to support hard-to-reach groups, including young people, parents, and individuals with disabilities.
Focus on Removing Barriers
The core aim of the various projects is to eliminate obstacles to employment for those who have historically faced disadvantages. In a report presented to the Economy, Community Empowerment and Wealth Building PDSP, the council’s Employability Manager, Alexa Davey, explained: “No One Left Behind is a Scottish Government employability programme designed to help people of all ages who face barriers to work move towards, into, and stay in fair, sustainable jobs.”
She added: “The main objectives of the programme are to reduce inequality by providing employability services to those who are unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, and to reduce levels of child poverty by supporting parents to increase their income from employment. This must include support for out-of-work parents as well as support for parents who are in low-income employment.”
Funding Allocation for 2026/27
For the 2026/27 period, West Lothian Council will receive a total of £2,823,872.75, distributed across three key areas: all-age employability support, specialist employability support, and tracking child poverty. The funding will cover a range of activities, from education to work placements and training days provided by the council and other organisations within the Local Employability Partnership (LEP).
Local Employability Partnership
The LEP comprises key employability partners, services supporting the delivery of employability, and the West Lothian Voluntary Sector. Its membership is diverse, selected based on relevant knowledge and experience of the employability challenges in West Lothian that No One Left Behind aims to address. Representatives on the LEP Board come from West Lothian Council Economic Development, Anti-Poverty Service, Education, CLD Youth Services, Department of Work and Pensions, Skills Development Scotland, West Lothian College, Delivering Young Workforce, NHS, Public Health, and the Third Sector.
Existing Successes and Support
The council has already achieved success with its Access2Employment schemes, which provide training opportunities. The Advice Shop also offers practical assistance to families, increasing parental engagement with employability provision and delivering tailored Better Off in Work benefit assessments. These assessments outline potential changes to income, benefits, and household finances when entering or progressing in employment.
Ms Davey concluded: “No One Left Behind Funding provides a significant opportunity locally to deliver a range of employability services and interventions aligned to local need. The nature of the funding and process for allocating it, via the Local Employability Partnership, means that provision is tailored to have the biggest impact and support those furthest from the labour market to engage and progress.”
