A key driver for The Plan for North Lanarkshire, the Brighter Futures programme brings together education, employability, volunteering, and entrepreneurship to create positive opportunities and improve outcomes for residents of all ages - as well as a launchpad for young potential.

Since its launch, the employability and pathways programme has supported:

• 1,544 residents through NL Academies which includes digital, care and built environment, helping them into jobs and training
• 8,714 learners through Community Learning and Development (CLD) programmes such as numeracy, IT, employability skills and ESOL
• 304 start-up businesses, including 17 new minority ethnic enterprises
• 82 social enterprises, with more in development
• 100 supported employment candidates into work
• Over 10,000 hours of youth volunteering, valued at more than £64,000.

Councillor Jim Logue, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, praised the programme’s impact: “Our activities and pathways into employment are about giving people the tools and support they need to succeed at work.

“Whether it’s helping a young person into their first job, supporting a new business to grow, or creating pathways for lifelong learning, this programme is delivering real change, and importantly, improving people’s outcomes.

“These programmes ensure we have a sustainable resource base in North Lanarkshire, growing the local economy and creating a happier, wealthier, more resilient place to live.  I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited about what’s still to come.” 

Five key themes exist within Brighter Futures; NL Academies, Curricular Pathways, Employability and CLD, Volunteering and Entrepreneurship, all of which contribute to delivering for North Lanarkshire people and businesses.

NL Academies aligns training with industry demands to close critical skills gaps and includes innovative projects like the Digital Youth Academy, Care Academy, and Built Environment Academy. These offer tailored training and real-world experience in growth industries, giving young people job-ready skills to access these thriving sectors, as well as opportunities for adults to enter training and work in them.

Through our curricular programme, vocational routes have progressed including the fitting out of a commercial kitchen and construction campus at Bellshill Academy and the creation of a skills for learning, life and workspace for young people with additional support needs at The Bungalow in Motherwell.

The council with partners is delivering a range of programmes that support unemployed or economically inactive residents through its employability and community learning and development. We had 450 people registered for numeracy courses and 379 registered for SQA qualifications, resulting in 95% reporting an increase in numeracy skills.

Our partner at New College Lanarkshire delivers Project Search, providing 15 young people aged 19-24 with routes into jobs in the portering, administration and clinical support roles at local hospitals.

Specialist Supported Employment services continue to work annually with around 200 residents with significant disabilities, with 100 entering employment, mainly in the private sector, each year and over 80% of these clients sustain their employment.

VolunteerNL has created 164 volunteering opportunities for staff and residents in sport, arts or environmental roles within the council itself or with partners such as McMillan Cancer Support and Friends of Summerlee, as well as with external businesses to create volunteering opportunities for staff to improve wellbeing, motivation and skills.

North Lanarkshire traditionally has a low self-employment rate and the entrepreneurship strand has opened up fresh career paths for young people beyond traditional further education or employment.

As well as supporting 82 social enterprises, non-financial support has been provided to 96 BME firms and 17 new businesses. Business Gateway has worked on over 1,000 pre-start enquiries and 304 start-up businesses and the hugely successful The Hive business incubator in Airdrie, has helped create more female entrepreneurs, with over 440 women registering, 77 female entrepreneurs supported, resulting in 31 new female-led businesses starting up.

The council is also developing a Social Value Framework to ensure public spending delivers maximum benefit for communities and is expanding volunteering opportunities across schools and services.