Every young Scot matters and deserves to have the chance to fulfil their potential.
Many teenagers move into adult life with relative ease.
Others find it much more of a struggle - and a significant minority experience a range of problems including drug abuse, youth crime, school failure, mental health problems and homelessness. Scotland needs the full contribution of all our young people, stemming the waste of underachievement, isolation and exclusion which blights many young lives. New Deal has provided a route into jobs for over 28,000 Young Scots since 1998. We have provided special programmes for the most disadvantaged young people, including the New Futures Fund to improve their employability. Services for rough sleepers have been substantially increased in Glasgow, Edinburgh and in authorities across Scotland under the Rough Sleeper's Initiative .