The Third Sector Employability Forum (TSEF) and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have formed a partnership

Two groups have joined forces to provide a platform and collective voice for voluntary sector organisations in Scotland.

The Third Sector Employability Forum (TSEF) and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have formed a partnership to improve policy and practice in employability services.

Through this link-up, TSEF and SCVO will work together for the next 12 months to influence the development, implementation and delivery of No One Left Behind - the Scottish Government’s policy on employability in Scotland.

They will bring together their respective strengths, resources, expertise and distinctive reach to work towards better alignment and integration of policies and services that enhance employability throughout Scotland.

Key areas of activity will be communications, influencing, representation and events.

Anna Fowlie, chief executive of SCVO, said: “We are very pleased about this partnership - by working with the Third Sector Employability Forum we can help to ensure the voluntary sector has a strong, collective voice on employability policy and practice in Scotland, while ensuring a person-centred approach so that those looking to gain sustainable employment can get the support they need.”

Grant Alexander, interim chair of TSEF, said, “The economic impact of Covid-19 and the resultant uncertainty over jobs means the need for employability support has never been greater.

“We welcome this new partnership between TSEF and SCVO and see it as an opportunity to enable third sector employability providers to make a meaningful contribution in tackling the many challenges that lie ahead.”