Kate Forbes hails £90m Scottish Government cash to help jobless into work

The Scottish Government is investing £90 million into schemes to help people into work, with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes insisting such spending is a “win-win situation”.

She said money spent on employability services would boost Scotland’s economy and also help with the Government’s efforts to tackle child poverty.

The Deputy First Minister spoke out as she visited McTaggart Construction in Glasgow – a business which provides on-site training to help people into work as part of the Government’s No One Left Behind approach.

Aimed at tackling the barriers some people face when looking for work – such as disability or caring commitments – the Scottish Government says its £90 million of funding, allocated in the 2026-27 Scottish Budget, will help 7,500 people across the country into employment, with thousands more to get help with training and qualifications.

As part of this, £40 million has been earmarked for a package to help those parents most at risk of poverty into jobs and training courses.

There will also be spending of £39 million for the No One Left Behind initiative and a further £5 million of investment in specialist services to help disabled people into good jobs.

The Scottish Government also plans a major marketing campaign providing parents with advice to help them get back into work, Ms Forbes announced.

She said: “Our employability services are helping people into work who may otherwise face barriers to employment due to factors such as illness, disability or simply taking time out to have a family.

“With the involvement of employers like McTaggart Construction, we are building people’s confidence and providing access to new skills.

“Tackling economic inactivity is a win-win situation – it boosts the economy and tackles child poverty by providing families with a secure income – and our £90 million Budget commitment will enable more people to access employment support.”

It comes after Government figures showed that over the six years to June 2025, the No One Left Behind initiative helped 28,699 people into employment in Scotland.

A further 40,578 people were assisted over the same period to gain more training or qualifications, work experience or volunteering experience or to re-engage with school.

New father Liam Long was able to get training and then a full-time job at McTaggart Construction with the support of No One Left Behind after a period of illness left him out of work.

He said schemes had given him “the opportunity to get my foot in the door” and that a placement had “opened the door to a permanent role with McTaggart Construction”.

Mr Long said: “I’ve just become a dad and the two weeks’ paternity pay meant everything to me. I’m proud to work for a company that genuinely invests in its people and supports them through moments in life.”