Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) chief executive Sandy Cumming has welcomed today's announcement (Wednesday 28th March 2001) by Wendy Alexander MSP, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning of an additional £5 million to help businesses affected by the foot and mouth epidemic.
28 March 2001

People from the Ross and Cromarty and Inverness and Nairn areas are being urged to 'Get Real Guidance' about careers and training opportunities.

The freephone number set up by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to gather information on the economic impact of the current foot and mouth outbreak is continuing to receive more than 35 calls a day from businesses throughout the area.

A new educational service that puts Scottish people in touch with learning opportunities will be the main focus for discussion at a business event to be held in Lochaber college next week (Thursday April 5th, 2001).

Lochaber Limited, the enterprise company responsible for economic and social development in the local area is to change its name to Lochaber Enterprise.

A business support scheme which has already helped hundreds of companies across the Highlands and Islands is looking for new applicants.

Eileen Gardener of the Growing Businesses team at Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (INE) and Investors in People advisor, Mark MacKintosh try out a Handmade Hammock before partners Joy Blair and Malcolm MacKintosh leave Inverness for the Ideal Home Exhibition in Birmingham (Wednesday 14th March to Sunday 8th April).

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), together with Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE) are inviting people to attend two open days in Argyll aimed at demystifying call centre work.

Business people across the Highlands and Islands are being urged to contact a new freephone number to provide details of how the foot and mouth outbreak is affecting their business.

A one day convention geared at encouraging local people in Lochaber to think ahead and plan their careers was hailed as a resounding success last Wednesday (7 March, 2001) in Fort William.

Drumnadrochit traffic warden John Beet takes a break from issuing parking tickets to study for his European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) qualification. John is studying for the ECDL through Inverness College and is able to do so because he has opened an Individual Learning Account (ILA).

A Gaelic language development contract, worth £340,000 has been awarded to Comunn na Gaidhlig (CNAG) by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The move coincides with the announcement of HIE's new Gaelic policy.

A scheme which gives businesses in Skye and Lochalsh the chance to access the fresh ideas and skills of graduates, while giving them valuable work experience is proving to be a huge success.

Confirmation that Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE) are to relocate their headquarters to the Forres Enterprise Park has secured the provision of new business premises for other tenants, and brought the prospect of more job opportunities to the Moray town.

A fine artist and her graphic design partner are opening a print gallery in the north-west of Skye, presenting the area with a new visitor attraction and providing year-round employment. The project will also bring an old, disused croft house back into productive use.

A state-of-the-art call centre opens officially today (Thursday, March 1, 2001) in the famous royal burgh of Dornoch initially creating seven full-time jobs with the prospect of more to come. The helpdesk facility is providing IT support services to major multi-national corporations across the UK, the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.