Chamber and committees

Thank you.

I will ask one final question. Tracey Francis mentioned that the principles into practice trials happened during the pandemic. Sometimes we forget that we have had a pandemic, but we know that it had a big impact on some young people’s education, which I imagine includes people with additional support needs. Does anyone want to comment on what the impact was for that cohort of young people and what we are doing to address the lingering tail of Covid for those young people?

I will come to Charlotte Pearson now. Good morning. It will be interesting to hear your reflections on the progress that is being made towards 2038 and what you think the key challenges are in achieving a halving of the disability employment gap.

I call Kevin Stewart.

Before I see whether Charlotte Pearson and Tracey Francis want to add anything, do you want to come in with a supplementary question, Brian?

Yes. Would Tracey Francis or Charlotte Pearson like to comment on the impact of the pandemic and what that has meant for the transitions of the group of young people who were caught in that situation?

Good morning, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Our first item of business is the fourth evidence session in the committee’s inquiry into the disability employment gap in Scotland. This morning we will focus on the support that is available to help young disabled people to transition from the education system into employment in adulthood.

I welcome Tracey Francis, who is the policy and development worker for the Scottish Transitions Forum and the Association of Real Change Scotland; Anne-Marie Sturrock, vice-principal for student experience at Colleges Scotland; and Dr Charlotte Pearson, who is a senior lecturer in social and public policy at the University of Glasgow. Thank you, everybody.

If members and witnesses could keep their answers as concise and precise as possible, that would be helpful. The committee has undertaken this work because the Government has a target to halve the disability employment gap by 2038 and we want to see whether we are on target to achieve that. We are interested in what the key remaining challenges are to closing the disability employment gap in Scotland. You will have a chance to expand on many of the issues that I might ask you to address briefly at the start.

I will come first to Tracey Francis, to talk about some of the remaining challenges in closing the disability employment gap.

If your question is a brief supplementary, Mr Whittle, I will let you in. The witnesses have been here longer than they anticipated.

Thank you very much for your evidence this morning. It is much appreciated and will help us with the inquiry.

Good morning, and welcome to the 15th meeting in 2024 of the Economy and Fair Work Committee. Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take items 4 and 5 in private. Do members agree to do so?

Members indicated agreement.