Edinburgh Napier University

  This chapter focuses on national level youth employment policy in Scotland. It provides a Capability Approach informed evaluation of current employment policy making in relation to disadvantaged youth (in terms of employment, education and lived experiences) by mapping current policy processes and social support measures. The findings presented highlight that as a result of a focus on evidence based policy making, the national informational basis of judgement with regards to disadvantage in the labour market is measured and understood in terms of objective factors, not taking into account subjective factors. The findings raise questions about young people’s voice in the policy making. Policy does acknowledge the importance of ‘meaningful’ work. But how this is defined, and by whom, is not clear. Generally the way in which young people can realise their capability for voice in the development and delivery of government policy is through formal channels, however, those most disadvantaged may not always be heard because of barriers in the way that voices are sought. Social innovation appears to be a mechanism through which engagement and a capability for voice can be developed. However the participants generally felt that there was not a systemic innovative approach in government.