Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government uses a range of approaches to assess the needs of non-working parents.

We develop our own evidence in this area. A key example is an evidence paper which was produced to inform the 2012 Women's Employment Summit. The paper focuses on women's labour market experience but covers issues which are of importance to non-working parents generally. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence on key issues related to women's employment and highlights that accessible, affordable and flexible childcare is fundamental to participation in work and training. The paper is available at:

http://www.employabilityinscotland.com/media/294295/8_-__women_s_employment_summit_evidence_paper.pdf

Evidence is also drawn from Scottish Government survey data. For example, in the Sweep 1 Growing Up In Scotland survey over half of unemployed respondents indicated they would prefer to work or study if they could afford good quality, reliable and convenient childcare.

In addition, the Scottish Government makes use of analysis of the Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey, published by the Office for National Statistics, when considering issues related to employability.

There are a number of ways in which the Bill is expected to benefit women. Amongst other things, the Bill will require public bodies to consider how their procurement activity can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the authority’s area. It will require bodies to consider including community benefit clauses in all new major public sector contracts. These enable public bodies to maximise social benefits from public spending and are increasingly used in public contracts to advance equality of opportunity and deliver thousands of targeted training and recruitment opportunities. The Scottish Government has commissioned further research into community benefit clauses with a particular focus on using them to promote equality.

The Bill will allow ministers to issue statutory guidance on workforce related matters, such as a company’s approach to recruitment and terms of engagement, including flexible working which should be considered when assessing the suitability of a company to bid for public contracts. The guidance will require purchasers to consider, where relevant to performance of the contract, whether matters such as inappropriate use of zero hours contracts or levels of remuneration may affect the bidder’s ability to provide the required quality of service.

There are two main elements to childcare support for students at colleges and universities in Scotland.

The Discretionary Childcare Funds provide help with formal registered childcare cost. All eligible further and higher education student parents attending a college can apply for help with registered childcare costs from the College Childcare Fund. Full time eligible higher education students at university can apply for help with registered childcare costs from the University Childcare Fund.

The Lone Parents Childcare Grant provides a payment to all eligible further and higher education students who are lone parents and have formal registered childcare expenses while studying. This is an entitlement payment of up to £1,215 per year. Lone parent college students and full time lone parent university students can apply for additional help with registered childcare costs (over and above the Lone Parents Childcare Grant) from the discretionary childcare funds at their college or university.

Part time students at colleges or university must apply to the main Discretionary Fund for help with childcare costs. Students with unregistered childcare costs can also apply for help through the main Discretionary Funds.

In addition to this, students with children can receive support through Child Tax Credits. Students in receipt of child tax credits may also be eligible for free school meals.

The Scottish Social Services Council publish information on an annual basis on the size and composition of the childcare and day-care of children workforce in Scotland.

The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013.

Female employment rate by qualification:

Qualification	Employment rate
Degree, Professional Qualification	81.6%
HNC/HND or equivalent	74.2%
Higher, A-Level or Equivalent	69.0%
Credit Standard grade or Equivalent	61.6%
General Standard Grade or Equivalent	51.7%
Other qualifications	60.8%
No qualifications	36.9%
All	68.0%

Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2012 to September 2013, Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Rates based on female population aged 16-64

2. Rates are calculated on unrounded figures

3. Rates for all excludes those who didn’t know or didn’t answer

We are in regular contact with stakeholders to gather feedback on a range of factors that impact on demand for college places. The impact of the childcare plans set out in ‘Scotland’s Future’ will be assessed and factored into projections for demand ahead of implementation.

At 69.5%, the level of female employment is at its highest rate since the Labour Force Survey series began in 1992. (source, Labour Force Survey, ONS, Sept-Nov 2013). However, the Scottish Government recognises that women continue to face many different barriers accessing, retaining and progressing in employment.

Attendees at the Women’s Employment Summit in September 2012 identified a number of key challenges, including childcare; support for women setting up their own enterprise; flexible working; the particular challenges of rural living; and occupational segregation.

Since the event, action has been taken across these areas, and is monitored through the Advisory Group on Women and Work Chaired by Angela Constance

Actions include:

Child care: We are increasing the level of funded early learning and childcare from 475 hours to 600 hours per year, for three and four year olds, and the most vulnerable two year olds, and from 2014. We will extend our childcare offer of 600 hours per year to two year olds in workless households from 2014, and to two year olds who would be eligible for free school meals from 2015.Enterprise: following a series of seminars chaired by Professor Sara Carter of Strathclyde University and Jackie Brierton of Women in Enterprise Scotland, a draft framework for action by Scottish Government and partners has been produced and will be published in Spring this year.

Careerwise: A £250,000 fund which will see the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology to work collaboratively with employers, schools, colleges, universities and Skills Development Scotland to encourage and support young women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths learning and jobs.

 

Training:We are keen to test the impact of an offer of childcare support on uptake of training by women, particularly in non-traditional sectors. Through the Energy Skills Challenge Fund which offers ‘transition training’ to up-skill those with relevant transferable skills and experience, 2 of the 9 providers this year are specifically targeting women for their courses. These are:

 

Fife College who have commenced training and are contracted to deliver 168 places. Fife College are specifically marketing and targeting women.

 

Opito, who are contracted to deliver 331 places, which will include 50 places specifically being offered to women though a four day awareness course on the realities of the oil and gas industry and details of the training available through the challenge fund. The course and training is due to run in March 2014.

Both providers will pilot offering childcare expenses as an incentive to increase the number of women taking up this provision it is important women can access training offer of childcare;

Research: Understanding the evidence we have around women’s employment was a key issue identified at the summit. Professor Patricia Findlay of Strathclyde University has chaired a small group which produced and published on the Scottish employability website:-www.employabilityinscotland.com.

An updated Women’s Employment Summit Evidence Paper, a database of sources for women’s labour market information, alongside a guide to data sources and a thematic guide to data sources, short summary review of evidence papers and a list of women’s employment support networks and resources

In ‘Scotland’s Future’ we set out further actions we will take if elected in an independent Scotland which would offer more support to women and families accessing the labour market. This includes the introduction of a universal childcare system, a fair pay commission, action to increase the number of women on public and corporate boards and promotion of a living wage.

The Scottish Government published an economic analysis in January 2014 illustrating the potential impact of increasing Scotland’s female participation rate to levels seen in countries such as Norway and Sweden. The results are outlined in a document entitled Childcare and Labour Market Participation - Economic Analysis, and can be accessed using the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Childcare-and-Female-Labour-Market-Participation

The results published in the above report indicate that if Scotland’s female participation rate reached Swedish levels, output could rise by up to 1.7% (£2.2 billion) and tax revenues by 1.5% (£700 million) in the long run.

<>The Scottish Government published an economic analysis of childcare and labour market participation in January 2014. The report is available from:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Childcare-and-Female-Labour-Market-Participation and contains estimates of the increase in the number of economically active women in Scotland that would be achieved if Scotland matched the female economic activity rates of countries such as Norway or Sweden.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of unpaid child-minders in Scotland, however findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study confirm that families rely on a mix of formal and informal care arrangements, including unpaid child-minders.

The Scottish Government is currently engaged with, and will continue to engage with, the Scottish Childminding Association to ensure that the views of childminders are reflected in the development of policy.