Dundee Bridge the Gap 2024

Mission Statement
Dundee ‘bridge the gap’ looks to combine the resources of the Dundee City Council -
Education and Youth Employment Service, globalbridge, and the Delivering Young
Workforce (DYW) team to deliver a digital solution to improve social mobility and youth
employment/participation for young people across the Dundee region. The partnership
provides the network, technology and funding to level the playing field of opportunity and
reduce social mobility barriers for young people. The project will pioneer a regional solution
fit for Dundee which will answer a national problem that stretches wider than just a digital
learner profile outlined in the recent Hayward review.
 

Delivery
We will roll-out the myglobalbridge platform in Dundee schools (secondary schools
initially but working on a primary version) as well as Dundee & Angus College and Dundee
City Council Youth Employment Service. This will give all secondary school and 6th form
college pupils in the Dundee area the opportunity to create a digital learner profile. The
profile will showcase skills and achievements, which include academic, musical, sporting,
society and other in-school achievements. This will also include achievements and activities
outside school, such as work experience, mentoring programmes, individual achievements /
experiences or hobbies. Young people will record their aspirations, for example, what types
of industries and organisations they are interested in joining post-school. This will include a
preferred pathway to such aspirations, for example, work experience, volunteering,
university, apprenticeship etc. Employers and HE/FE settings will showcase careers and
their organisations, allowing all young people regardless of background and location to view
all future possibilities. Schools can direct curriculum delivery and employer engagement
according to any gaps or needs identified. This allows young people to identify chosen
career pathways and to make informed school subject choices. Engaging earlier will
positively impact social mobility and reduce youth unemployment.

2024 Bridge the Gap
This project is taking place across 8 schools and one college in the Dundee region,
launching in February 2024. The GBL team will work with the 8 schools and 1 college to
introduce myglobalbridge to the relevant staff and SLT to roll out across all year groups.
The young people will create digital learner profiles and have the opportunity to engage in
activities and events provided by local employers and providers. This will enable the young
people to evidence their talents and experiences but also to demonstrate the positive impact
of a digital network connecting education and industry across the region. In conjunction with
the DYW to help network work experience opportunities and deliver good careers guidance
within schools, this provides a wrap-around service for all young people. Our aim is for
Dundee based employers to fund the long term delivery of myglobalbridge in the schools
and colleges across Dundee. The natural connectivity of the digital network will introduce
January 2024
them to potential career and job opportunities in the area. With support from Dundee council
and DYW, this will also include specific regionally related interventions, for example, work
experience, mentioning, career guidance.

Conference: 20th February 2024
Dundee City Council, DYW and myglobalbridge will deliver a conference to rally support for
the Dundee Bridge the Gap. This is an opportunity to evidence early impact of our EdTech
solution through Grove Academy, Dundee. Also, to connect key stakeholders across the city
to support delivery of a region wide solution. Students and staff from Grove Academy will be
part of an education panel presenting feedback on their experiences of the platform to date.
They will showcase their ability to build a learner profile evidencing the relevant skills, talents
and experiences they need to support their journey from education to employment. This will
be supported by a panel of industry experience and thought leaders outlining where key
stakeholders need to play their role in addressing social mobility, emerging talent
engagement and development of employability skills.

DUNDEE CONFERENCE

Project status at 11 January 2024
The Dundee bridge the Gap project has been agreed and Dundee City Council and DYW
are working with Global Bridge Ltd to deliver the platform across 8 schools and 1 college in
the region. A roll-out plan is in place for the project launch on Tuesday 20th February 2024,
held at Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa. This is an event for all interested parties including
employers, educators and policy makers.