Employability Grant Programme
Employability Grant Programme
Employability Grant Programme 2025/26
In the financial year 2022-23 East Lothian’s Local Employability Partnership (LEP), led by East Lothian Works, established an Employability Grant Programme to deliver a greater range of employability services. The aim of this programme is twofold; to help reduce unemployment and increase income through employment. The grant programme allowed East Lothian Works to increase collaboration with third and private sector partners resulting in a more targeted and flexible employability service in East Lothian.
Due to the great success of our grant programme it is being delivered again in 2025-26, funded by the Scottish Government's No One Left Behind. Our current partners, delivering a range of employability services, are:
Access to Industry are running the East Lothian Offenders Employability programme which works with people who have experience of the criminal justice system.
Bridges Project are running the Spark Your Future programme which works with young people furthest from the labour market to help them develop the confidence and skills to move into employment or education.
ENABLE Scotland are running the All-In East Lothian and Progress for Parents programmes. The All-In programme provides specialist employability support for people who have a disability or long-term health condition. Progress for Parents is a programme that provides support for people with a family member that has a disability.
RUTS are running their Academy programme which offers flexible support for young people that focuses on employability and core skills.
Into Work are running their Inclusion Works programme which offers employment support for young people with a disability.
Into Work are providing targeted support for adults 16+ and parents diagnosed or self-identifying as neurodivergent/specifically autistic, facing barriers to finding and keeping a job or underemployed.
Karen Monaghan – painting, exploring and creating. Participants will work in a group of up to 4, Several projects can be adopted using “self”, “sense of place”, “surroundings”, “my place in East Lothian” as broad themes to start. Participants will explore ideas around how they feel they are seen, and how they want to be seen.
LEAD Scotland offering inclusive and tailored support on a one-to-one basis to learners to help progress to further learning, volunteering, or progression of the employability pipeline. Early support for learners in this project is heavily focused on relationship building to build trust with people who have complex, intersectional challenges and negative experiences with learning and working.
Amisfield Preservation Trust are providing early intervention in a strengths-based, non-stigmatising environment. Opportunities to develop life, social and employability skills, including horticultural knowledge and skills.
Heavy Sound engage some of the hardest-to-reach, disengaged, care-experienced young people from areas of multiple deprivation, who face multiple barriers to engagement and are at risk of negative destinations. The programme focuses on engagement, barrier removal and place-based targeted support, including personal and life skills development.
The Ridge are providing personalised, holistic support to address both practical and emotional barriers to employment and personal growth. Services are designed to build resilience and help individuals overcome obstacles, ultimately achieving long-term success.
Direct Partners are providing a 6-week vocational and job search programme followed by 8 weeks of aftercare. This is delivered via group work with some 1-1 support. This will include a work placement and accredited, industry specific qualification (NPQL).
Verg Scotland are offering vocational, industry training. Project will deliver employability sessions, setting up work experience placements, employer liaison, DISC assessments, delivering accredited training and one to one meeting with the clients throughout the programme.