DYW Forth Valley and University of Stirling to generate more opportunities for young people in the region

​University of Stirling in partnership with DYW Forth Valley have jointly signed a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement which commits to increasing opportunities for young people in the region.  Through this agreement DYW Forth Valley and University of Stirling will facilitate connections between employers and schools within Forth Valley.

These activities will be aligned to the ‘asks’ of the Young Persons Guarantee (YPG) which will help employers build a skilled workforce and prioritize young people in their operations.

Lynn Harris (Chair, DYW), Clare Flynn (DYW Regional Lead), Dr John Rogers (Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Business Engagement at the University of Stirling), and Rebecca Pankhurst (Scotland's International Environment Centre Manager)

The MoU, signed by Dr. John Rogers (Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Business Engagement at the University of Stirling) and Clare Flynn (Regional Lead, DYW Forth Valley) aims to provide young people with work experience, apprenticeships, mentoring, volunteering and training opportunities.

A significant £214 million investment from the City Region Deal for Stirling and Clackmannanshire aims to unlock the region’s potential to aid economic growth and prosperity. Employers and/or businesses who seek to engage with the City Region Deal will be supported to interact with schools within the region via the Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley regional and extended teams with the intention to create a wealth of opportunities and experiences for young people living in the area.

​This Memorandum of Understanding is the first of its kind among City Deal partners in Scotland and University of Stirling and DYW Forth Valley are delighted to lead on this.

Dr. John Rogers, University of Stirling said: “Improving access to skilled work for people in our region is a central commitment of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal…I am delighted that the University is further developing our partnership working with DYW through this MOU and I am confident that, working together, we will create many more opportunities for our young people and businesses.”

Clare Flynn, DYW Regional Lead, said: “DYW Forth Valley are delighted to be collaborating with the University of Stirling to provide opportunity for the young people of Forth Valley as part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal… Through this partnership, it is our aim to empower employers to build a skilled workforce by putting young people at the heart of their operations.”

DYW Scotland are thrilled by the progress made by DYW Forth Valley and University of Stirling. We look forward to seeing the opportunities which are generated as a result of this Memorandum of Understanding, and hope that – whilst being the first of its kind – it will inspire other organisations to implement similar obligations within their contracts to suppliers.

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