4Talent Scotland

4Talent Scotland is the new home of Scotland’s broadcast industry, and your first step on the Channel 4 talent ladder. With inspiring features, online workshops, and up to date news about the best training, showcasing and funding opportunities, the site is bursting with information and advice. Whether you’re looking to snap up a second-hand laptop, hire production crew, enter new talent schemes or just showcase your work, log on to www.channel4.com/4talentscotland

AIM-Hi

AIM-Hi, the Association of Integrated Media - Highlands and Islands, is an industry body set up by the creative industries to promote Broadcast and Screen within the Highlands and Islands. Our membership is open to everyone who operates within the Broadcast and Screen cluster.

We make regular updates to our website and distribute a newsletter to advertise our content to our members. We also run a number of events throughout the year.

Our principle goal is to help build the economic sustainability of the creative sector within the Highlands and Islands. Using a bottom up approach we encourage our membership to organise, meet, network and share contacts and expertise. Only by working together can we build a viable, and vibrant community for creativity to flourish.

Careers Scotland

Careers Scotland was established in April 2002 as part of HIE and Scottish Enterprise. Careers Scotland engages with business to help the operation of the labour market by contributing to a better alignment of supply and demand. Careers Scotland can help businesses by:

• Raising awareness and improving understanding of the sector among the potential future workforce;
• Acting as a conduit for information about their business or their sector to potential recruits;
• Providing forums such as Careers Fairs for businesses to speak directly to potential recruits;
• Handling vacancies for under-18s, assisting businesses in recruiting young people;
• Giving advice about recruitment and retention of young workers, legislation or best practice;
• Providing career planning support to employees to improve the take-up of learning or to increase motivation and productivity;
• Providing support in redundancy situations;

www.careersscotland.org.uk

Dyslexia Scotland

Dyslexia Scotland is the voluntary organisation representing the needs and interests of dyslexic people in Scotland.

Dyslexia Scotland gives support and promotes good practice in the following ways:

• Dyslexia Helpline: 0844 800 8484
• Resource Centre
• Database of qualified tutors and specialist teachers
• Joint projects with practitioners and providers involved in the field of dyslexia
• Co-ordination of projects such as Count Me In and Transition Dyslexia
• Conferences, seminars, workshops and training sessions
• Awareness raising campaigns
• Network of local branches and support groups
• Local projects, fieldwork and fundraising
• Magazines and information packs
• Dissemination of research findings and reports
• Policy briefings and consultations.

Federation of Small Businesses

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) was founded in 1974 to protect, promote and further the interests of small businesses across the UK and to provide a voice on their behalf. The FSB is non-profit making and non-party-political, providing a balanced viewpoint for all its 190,000 members. Recognised as the largest organisation representing small businesses in the UK, the FSB aims to directly influence decision makers at local, national and European levels.

The FSB has over 2600 members in the Highlands and Islands with branches in Inverness, Easter Ross, Skye and Lochalsh, Caithness and Sutherland, Shetland and Lochaber.

Benefits of FSB membership include:

• 24 hour legal, VAT and tax advice line
• Representation in employment disputes
• Representation in the event of Inland Revenue investigation
• Representation if an essential licence is under threat of revocation, suspension or alteration

For further information contact:
Federation of Small Businesses
74 Berkeley Street
Glasgow G3 7DS
Tel 0141 221 0775
http://www.fsb.org.uk

FUSION

Fusion is a membership company limited by guarantee which is run in a private/public partnership with the support of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network. The primary role is to build a sustainable network of entrepreneurs and innovators in the Highlands and Islands.

Fusion offer members the following:

• We constantly look out for opportunities for your business and actively seek to put organisations in touch with each other for their mutual benefit. Not only that, but membership entitles you to a free annual half-day strategic review with one of our Innovation Consultants.
• We can bring you together with other business people and researchers to explore needs and develop ideas in a supportive way.
• We can help you to source funding for your research and development.
• You can benefit from our location- and interest-specific sub-groups, which focus on the priorities affecting members in particular geographical areas or business sectors
• Our training and development opportunities help you build on the skills essential for successful entrepreneurship.
• You can benefit from our networking opportunities. As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to meet your peers, share experiences, gain ideas and insights, make new contacts and create new opportunities. We put on a range of events, all with a strong networking focus.

HABIA

Habia is the government approved standards setting body for hair, beauty, nails, spa therapy, barbering and African-Caribbean hair, and creates the standards that form the basis of all qualifications including NVQs, SVQs and Apprenticeships, as well as codes of practice.

HICCAP

HICCaP has been established as a partnership between the voluntary sector and those agencies in the HIE area with an interest in voluntary sector development. Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), which is the umbrella body for development of the voluntary sector in Scotland, will work in partnership with Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) to develop this agenda. Partners will be drawn from voluntary sector infrastructure networks, individual voluntary organisations and key statutory agencies both Local Authorities and Health Boards. The partnerships work programme is based on the analysis of capacity building needs given above.

HICCaP will focus its work through three main strands: - Create a market place for skills and training in the Highlands & Islands - Promote a Skills Culture within the Voluntary Sector - Support the agencies who are working with and supporting voluntary and community groups

Contact for HICCAP is:

Helen Sandison
T: 01463 251723

Highland Employer Coalition

Led by local employers and responsive to the needs of the local labour market, the Coalition develops initiatives to provide employers with improved access to labour sources and in turn help increase the opportunities for disadvantaged and unemployed people to gain employment. The Coalition aims to increase employer involvement in New Deal and other Welfare to Work initiatives in order to help employers fill their vacancies.

The Coalition membership reflects a balance of people from strategic and operational positions representing both large employers and smaller family businesses. Coalition members bring a broad range of skills and experience as well as a genuine interest in offering support to those who need assistance to join the workforce.

Contact for the Highland Employer Coalition is:

David Stewart
T: 01463 244282

Investors in People

Investors in People is a national standard that provides businesses and organisations with a framework for improving performance and achieving goals. It also helps employers set standards of good practice at levels and ensures that staff training and development activities are focused on improving performance.

The Investors in People Standard is based on 4 key principles:

• Commitment Commitment to invest in people to achieve business goals.
• Planning Planning how skills, individuals and teams are to be developed to achieve these goals.
• Action Taking action to develop and use necessary skills in a well-defined and continuing programme directly tied to business objectives.
• Evaluation Evaluating outcomes of training and development for individuals, progress towards goals, the value achieved and future needs.

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus helps employers to find the people to fill their vacancies and provide them with useful information about recruitment. They are keen to work with employers to help them understand the services available to them and to maximise the job opportunities particularly for their customers. Vacancy service managers can arrange recruitment days, Jobsfairs and provide facilities for employers to interview within the Jobcentre.

LEAD Scotland

LEAD Scotland (Linking Education and Disability) is a charity that enables disabled adults and carers access to learning.

learndirect scotland for business

This service helps SMEs turn skills needs into effective training action. Learndirect Scotland for business aims to source flexible and cost-effective solutions in order that the workforce can gain new skills that could help them stay ahead of competition.

Lochaber Business Hub

The Lochaber Business Hub, located within Lochaber College UHI, is a focal point for stimulating management development and business networking across Lochaber. The Hub is unique in the Highlands, linking the business community and Lochaber College. Hub Members benefit from access to business and management development courses and workshops, events and a state of the art business meeting facility. Life skills for business and management ... in a nutshell.

SCDI

The Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) is an independent, membership-driven economic development organisation. Created in 1931, today SCDI is supported by around 1200 members across Scotland's manufacturing and service sectors, universities and colleges, local government and enterprise networks, trade associations and professional bodies, arts organisations, churches and trade unions.

SCDI is engaged in public policy issues, economic research and business information. SCDI also organise a sizeable programme of events from global trade missions and flagship conferences to area influencers dinners, seminars and informal networking opportunities.

In the Highlands and Islands Area there are many ways in which SCDI can provide assistance to you through the benefits of membership - to learn more, please contact SCDI's Highlands & Islands Office:

SCDI Highlands & Islands Area Office
Ballantyne House
84 Academy Street
Inverness IV1 1LU
Tel. 01463-231878
Fax. 01463-243568

For more information go to www.scdi.org.uk

Administrator: lesley.rhind@scdi.org.uk

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has the Learning Team as part of its Development and Programmes Directorate. It provides support to the voluntary sector in Scotland in identifying and assisting individual and organisational learning and skill development needs.

The SCVOs aims are to develop and stimulate a learning and skills strategy for the voluntary sector, assist voluntary organisations with organisational development and promote and assist learning and development in individuals.

Sector Skills Councils

Throughout the UK, the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is responsible for funding, supporting and monitoring the network of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). Each SSC is an employer-led, independent organisation that covers a specific sector across the UK. SSCs provide employers with a unique forum to express the skills and productivity needs that are pertinent to their sector.

SSCs seek to influence the policy and delivery of skills and learning to ensure that identified needs are met.

Contact Jacqui Hepburn
SSDA Manager
c/o Developing Skills Group
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Cowan House
Inverness Retail and Business Park
INVERNESS
IV2 7GF

Direct Line: 01463 244404
Mobile : 07776465992
E: jacqui.hepburn@ssda.org.uk
Website: www.ssda.org.uk

STUC Skills & Lifelong Learning Team

The STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress) Skills & Lifelong Learning Team for the Highlands and Islands was established in July 2003 with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and learndirect scotland. The team, part of the STUCs Skills & Lifelong Learning Team, supports Highlands & Islands trade union members and Union Learning Representatives to help and encourage workers based in the area take up opportunities to develop their learning and skills.

For further information contact:
Pam Urquhart
STUC Skills & Lifelong Learning Team - Highlands & Islands
Unison House
53 Shore Street
Inverness
IV1 1NF
Tel/fax: 01463 248905
E: purquhart@stuc.org.uk

UHI Millennium Institute

UHI Millennium Institute (UHI) was designated by the Scottish Parliament as a Higher Education Institution in April 2001. As such, it provides university-level education and research throughout the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. This is achieved through a partnership of fifteen colleges and research institutions.