£100k skills boost for Caithness and north Sutherland businesses
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A £100,000 investment has been made to help tackle skills shortages and boost investment across the far north.
The Caithness Business Fund is offering grants to local business to help towards the cost of apprenticeships.
It comes ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week next week, a nationwide celebration of the benefits of work-based learning.
Trudy Morris, executive director of the Caithness Business Fund and chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, managing agent of the fund, said: “We are delighted to be making this exciting announcement ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
“The north Highlands is at the cusp of transformative opportunities and as we embark on a fresh era of employment generation, we must empower our young people to lead the way in the region's innovation.
“There is a huge appetite from both businesses and stakeholders to boost apprenticeship opportunities in the region. This new initiative will offer vital support to businesses by providing funding to establish new apprenticeships, fostering locally grown talent, addressing skills gaps, and assisting local businesses to invest in their workforce.”
The FutureSkills apprenticeship grant scheme is supported by £100,000 from Focus North partners NRS Dounreay and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). It will offer eligible businesses the opportunity to access financial grant support of up to £24,500 over a maximum period of three years, towards employment and associated training costs of an apprentice.
Dave Calder, head of sustainability and socio economics at NRS Dounreay, said: "Seeding an initiative of this nature presents a unique opportunity to not only attract participation from other large organisations who are vested in the region but also to establish a lasting legacy over the coming decades. By bolstering and enhancing the capabilities of local SMEs, we can generate a ripple effect of growth and skills generation for our region."
Jamie Reed, director of socio-economics at the NDA, added: “Building upon the success of the Dounreay apprenticeship scheme, the prospect of extending NDA group support to encompass opportunities within the wider economy is very exciting. This support highlights our commitment as an organisation to fostering sustainable development and nurturing a vibrant and diverse business landscape for the north Highlands.”
