05 Feb 2026
The employer-led early career opportunities app, yattle, has surpassed 30,000 downloads by young people across Glasgow City Region, marking a significant milestone in efforts to improve access to work and tackle skills shortages in the city.
The landmark figure has been reached as major businesses including Scottish Power, Barclays and ScotRail have all signed-up to post new job offers on the app, exclusive to the Glasgow City Region.
Developed by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Glasgow City Council, and supported by the Glasgow Futures Partnership, yattle was created in response to concerns raised by local employers and the Glasgow Employment and Skills Board (GESB) about the growing difficulty of engaging young people through traditional recruitment methods.
yattle gives young jobseekers greater control over how they present themselves to employers. Instead of relying on conventional CVs, which can disadvantage those at the start of their working lives, the app allows users to create simple, skill-based profiles designed by employers themselves. This approach reflects the reality that many young people have relevant skills but lack formal work experience or the confidence to articulate those skills in a traditional recruitment process.
The transition from education into employment remains a particular challenge for young people. Research consistently shows that early careers candidates are more likely to struggle with recruitment systems that prioritise prior experience over potential, even as employers across Scotland report persistent skills gaps and unfilled vacancies. By matching skills to roles more effectively, yattle is designed to make early careers opportunities more accessible while helping employers reach a wider and more diverse talent pool.
A growing number of major employers are already supporting the platform, including, Arnold Clark, Scottish Power and QA. Job opportunities from Barclays and ScotRail have also been posted on the app, underlining increasing employer confidence in the platform as a route to early careers recruitment.
The app is helping businesses reduce the cost and time associated with hiring, improve the quality of job matches and ensure growth is not constrained by a lack of staff, all whilst supporting young people into meaningful employment.
Alison McRae, Senior Director, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Director of yattle said: “Reaching more than 30,000 downloads in less than six months is a significant milestone for yattle. Skills gaps remain a persistent challenge for businesses across Glasgow City Region, and the cost of both recruitment and missed opportunities continues to rise.
“Having signed up some of the biggest employers in the city already, it is so encouraging to see businesses get behind our movement and commit to taking a different approach to early career jobs. From small businesses needing support, to large multinational firms recruiting across multiple departments, yattle is supporting young people get jobs and helping businesses to grow.
“We have a hugely talented pool of young people ready to take their first steps into work. yattle is helping to bridge that gap, and the feedback from participating employers has been extremely positive, with many inspiring young people already making a real contribution across a wide range of sectors.”
Craig McFadzean, Workforce Development Manager, ScotRail: “ScotRail is committed to attracting and nurturing the next generation of rail engineers and professionals, and we’re proud to work with platforms like yattle to help us connect with young people across Scotland.
“yattle plays an important role in reaching the next generation of talent and showcase the wide range of opportunities available on Scotland’s Railway. It allows us to promote careers that are varied, rewarding, and make a real difference to communities across the country.
“By promoting our apprenticeships through trusted youth-focused platforms, we can ensure more young people are aware of the exciting career pathways open to them and feel inspired to take their first step into the rail industry.”
yattle is a collaborative initiative bringing together Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, employers, Glasgow City Council and schools, reflecting a shared commitment to improving early careers pathways and supporting inclusive economic growth across the city.
The app is available to download now, with further information at: https://www.yattle.co.uk/
