The third Sector in Scotland is incredibly diverse with 45,000 organisations employing 138,000 people. They earn a living in areas including social care, human services, environment, heritage, sports, arts, culture, credit unions, campaigning, health, community work, village halls, faith groups, housing, animals and education. The sector also has the support of 250,000 unpaid trustees and 1.3 million volunteers.
The outcomes we will work towards by developing an employability response across the third sector are:
- Strengthening the third sector employability offer across the Scottish Borders.
- Enabling positive pathways for volunteers, looking to develop skills in order to enter or re-enter the job market.
- Third sector organisations are better equipped with skills, services, and resources to deliver and meet community needs.
- Championing the third sector as a key partner in delivering employment outcomes in the region.
- Third sector organisations gain a better understanding of the policies that affect their work, enabling them to make more informed decisions.
As a member of the Local Employability Partnership (LEP), BCA supports the aims and objectives of the LEP Improvement Plan and those of “No-one Left Behind”. Overall, our goal is to raise the profile of the third sector as a key partner in delivering employment outcomes in the Scottish Borders.
This project has been funded by the Robertson Trust and Scottish Borders Council through the Local Employability Partnership.
Third Sector
Employability Mapping & Gapping Report
2024-2025
The mapping and gapping exercise is our first attempt to understand the employability support available across the Scottish Borders. Despite fragmentations across the region, it is clear that many projects operating at the very hyper-local level are the first open door available for many vulnerable groups and individuals living in rural communities.
Scottish Borders Employability Map
Every organisation that responded to the mapping and gapping survey has been pinned on the map with important information about the service they offer. Information includes a brief description of the organisation, the stages of the employability pipeline they work on, the localities they deliver services in, the demographics they work with, the end goal of their project, a link to their website and in some cases any specialist support they offer.
Keeping this map a live document will be an ongoing process but it is believed that this map will increase awareness of available services across the region and improve client experiences by ensuring referrals are more tailored to the clients needs.
If you would like to be added to the map or update your organisation details, please use the form linked below:
Employability Pipeline
To make employability services accessible to the population at large No One Left Behind uses the Employability Pipeline, which breaks down a service user's personal employment journey into five stages, these stages can also be split into Pre-Employability, Employability and In Work Support.