Adult learning, youth work and employment
The Council is responsible for providing learning opportunities to adults, in a variety of different formats, throughout East Dunbartonshire.
The service encourages the development of core skills, social inclusion and active citizenship throughout all aspects of learning provision in partnership with other departments and agencies. We aim to provide a positive learning experience for all our learners.
Our Employability and Learning Services are currently operating on an appointment only basis. In the first instance please call 0141 777 3082 or complete our learning enquiry form below and one of our employability advisors will be in touch. Support such as help with CVs, interview skills and job search can still be provided online and by telephone or face to face by appointment.
We also provide a range of youth work services including youth clubs and youth development workers in every secondary school.
Enquiry form
Please use this form to request further information on all adult learning courses available.
Financial assistance
We offer a Lift-Off Grant of £50 to help remove those last barriers for those moving into employment (subject to eligibility).
Grants can be used to help pay for:
- Short training courses which allow individuals to acquire new skills or upgrade/maintain existing skills
- Personal protective clothing or work clothing to allow the uptake of training/work
- Tools or necessary equipment to allow the uptake of training/work
- Travel costs to allow individuals to cover the initial cost involved in accepting a new job or work.
Apply for a Lift-Off grant
To apply for a Lift-Off grant, please complete the electronic form and email to learningandskills@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Parental Employment Programme – Voluntary Sector
Voluntary organisations are being invited to help support parents who live in East Dunbartonshire into work and out of poverty.
Funding is once again available through the Parental Employment Programme to help create opportunities in East Dunbartonshire.
Voluntary organisations are being supported to create new jobs for eligible parents with dependent children – helping to tackle child poverty and changing lives.
The funding is being provided by the Local Employability Partnership via the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind scheme.
Guidance is available which can provide background, and information on the application process and eligibility.
You can download an application form at the bottom of this webpage. Once completed, please email learningandskills@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
The Council provides a range of employability support and learning opportunities to young people and adults throughout East Dunbartonshire.
The main areas of the service include:
- Community learning courses
- Improving employability skills
- Improving literacy and numeracy skills
- ESOL (English for speakers of other languages).
For further information on all adult learning, employability opportunities or the Lift-Off grant please email learningandskills@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Current adult employability and learning opportunities
Learning opportunities currently include:
- Literacy and numeracy support groups
- ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
- Preparing for work
- Employability support
- Digital support.
Courses are delivered in local learning centres and libraries.
New College Lanarkshire Kirkintilloch Campus
This offers a range of informal and formal learning opportunities. Full-time, part-time, evening and flexible learning opportunities are delivered by New College Lanarkshire.
For information on current courses, please contact info@nclan.ac.uk or call 0300 555 8080
The centre is also home to Skills Development Scotland who offer a range of careers/employability support and guidance. The centre has an information and guidance area, a café, well-equipped training rooms and a large open-plan computer training area overlooking the canal.
Guidance – Parental Employment Programme (Voluntary Sector)
Please note – grant must be agreed prior to commencement of employment.
Funding for this programme comes from the East Dunbartonshire Local Employability Partnership via the Scottish Government No One Left Behind fund.
The funding allows voluntary organisations to create new jobs for eligible parents with dependent children as part of addressing child poverty.
Grants cannot be approved for participants who have started a job prior to an application being submitted and approved by East Dunbartonshire Council, unless with prior agreement.
No One Left Behind – Parental Employment Programme (PEP)
This funding is delivered in partnership with local government through No One Left Behind. This support focuses on supporting people who face the greatest inequalities and are furthest from the labour market.
- The funding will support those who are parents with dependent children who would, without significant investment, struggle to secure good quality employment. Priority should be given to parents from the following Scottish Government priority groups; lone parents; minority ethnic families; families with disabled person; families with three or more children; families with children under one; families with mothers aged 25 or under
- The aim is to provide people with the necessary skills to effectively compete and move into jobs across occupational sectors where there are skills shortages, including in new and emerging sectors
- It should offer six months new job creation, paying Real Living Wage with ongoing key worker support
- There should be the flexibility to enable term-time and part-time opportunities, and organisations must offer all participants accredited training or relevant vocational qualifications
- All jobs created must be new and additional.
Organisations must complete an employer application to allow East Dunbartonshire Council to assess suitability of the trainee role offered by your organisation.
- Each eligible trainee will be directly employed by your organisation. All management responsibilities will lie with the employer organisation.
- Organisation should include details of trainee role, hours of work, accredited training provision (e.g. first Aid, health and safety, vocational qualifications, supervision, etc) in the attached application form.
- Each submitted application will be assessed and an offer of grant will be awarded if successful
- Organisations should have experience of managing paid employees and have other paid employees
- Organisations must have established payroll systems in place and currently have paid employees with the ability to evidence employee salary e.g. bank statements, payslips, etc.
- All participants must be an East Dunbartonshire resident. Recruitment will be the employing organisations responsibility. Participants must be a parent with a dependent child. This must be evidenced along with relevant right to work checks. Only those with the legal right work in Scotland are eligible.
- Parents who have dependent children and are experiencing additional barriers to securing employment or an improved employment situation.
- Organisations should advertise their role and conduct their individual recruitment process.
- Recruited trainee must register with East Dunbartonshire Council’s employability services, with eligibility evidenced.
- Organisations will be responsible for clients agreeing to data sharing with East Dunbartonshire Council as part of the recruitment process and in line with Scottish Government monitoring requirements.
- Organisations should provide a copy of their trainee’s employment contract to East Dunbartonshire Council. Hours worked cannot exceed 40 hours per week.
- The placements can last for 26 weeks maximum. No further funding will be available after the 26 weeks.
- All employers must have appropriate health and safety, and insurances in place for employees.
- East Dunbartonshire Council will also pay participating organisations a grant of £1,000 to help meet the costs of recruitment, PPE and training.
- Support and management should be available to the participant at all times.
- All participants should get access to a ‘better off at work’ calculation before they start work to ensure they are maximising in-work benefits and to allow them to make an informed decision as to whether to take the placement, given its potential impact on benefits. Citizens Advice can undertake this on behalf of the Local Employability Partnership.
- Once your recruitment process is complete with an eligible trainee in mind, East Dunbartonshire Council will issue you an Award Letter detailing the amount of funding awarded, condition of grant, trainee details, confirming East Dunbartonshire Council monitoring requirements, etc.
- Monthly client timesheets should be complete for each trainee employed.
- East Dunbartonshire Council will cover wage costs, including National Insurance and other employer costs.
- Claims for wages will be paid after 13 and 26 weeks. If a participant leaves before these milestones, the number of weeks the participant worked can be claimed.
- Placements should be beneficial to the participant in terms of improving employability skills and gaining good quality work experience, and should help them to find sustainable employment.