Improving the operation of the labour market
Changing employer demands require a culture of lifelong learning among those in, and supplying, the labour market and an ability to respond quickly and flexibly to new and emerging needs. There is also a need to increase the number of people participating in the region's workforce. The challenge is to create conditions conducive to a healthy labour market which will enable people and organisations to thrive.
Priorities for action
- Achieving university title for UHI and supporting its ongoing development as a centre of teaching and research and as a catalyst to growth in the region.
- Providing labour market intelligence through Futureskills Scotland to inform decisions of individuals, the design and prioritisation of skills interventions and the development of learning provision.
- Offering career planning assistance through Careers Scotland to people of all ages, thereby developing increased career resilience within the population.
- Tackling the skills needs of today, while anticipating and planning for the needs of new and emerging opportunities.
- Promoting the career, learning and business opportunities of the region to residents and encouraging growth in the number of people coming to live, work and study in the area.
- Achieving a sustainable network of learning centres through partnership of public and private sectors and maximising the benefits of technology in learning.
Best start for all our young people
All young people need to be equipped with the skills, advice and support to maximise their contribution to, and benefit from, the world of work. The provision of a coherent range of opportunities for young people at school, and moving into the workplace, is required to meet the needs of individuals and employers.
Priorities for action
- Implementing the Scottish Executive's enterprise in education strategy, Determined to Succeed, to develop enterprising attitudes and a greater understanding of the world of work.
- Providing career-related learning opportunities outwith school and in the community, while helping to inform decisions through career guidance, provision of practical labour market information and insights and work experience opportunities.
- Tackling the identified gap in soft skills.
- Increasing the range of vocational learning opportunities which smooth transition from school to work and reducing the number of young people who leave school and are neither in employment, education or training.
- Providing high-quality vocational training through Modern Apprenticeships for young people in work and assisting those with additional needs or facing barriers to employability with specialist support services.
Developing people who are in work
Motivated and appropriately-skilled people are a fundamental component of increased productivity, innovation, growth and business success. The level of investment in training by business varies considerably and skills development is not always sufficiently integrated into business planning. Raising awareness of the role of skills in business performance, addressing barriers to investment and stimulating demand will contribute to the growth of more businesses of scale.
Priorities for action
- Fostering a strategic approach to people development by businesses, supported through the provision of business advice, business improvement tools and online resources via the Learningworks web portal.
- Developing sector skills plans, informed strongly by industry,with priority given to identified skills needs and sectors which are significant to the Highlands and Islands economy.
- Generating increased graduate recruitment into Highlands and Islands companies as part of the development of the knowledge economy.
- Raising management and leadership skills and those required to seize the transformational potential of ICT and e-business, seeking to bring about a step change through significant infrastructure development.
Narrowing the gap in employment and reducing economic inactivity
Employment rates are at historically high levels and unemployment rates have fallen dramatically in most parts of the region. This has resulted in tight labour markets with employers experiencing difficulty in recruitment. Unemployment data hide a significant inactive potential workforce, people of working age but who, for a variety of reasons, are not in work. Addressing economic inactivity will improve labour market conditions and help to address social exclusion.
Priorities for action
- Developing, through the Scottish Executive's employability framework and local employability plans, an integrated portfolio of services to build employability skills and address the barriers to employment.
- Offering training opportunities to assist people to acquire the skills to secure sustained employment.
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