Justin secures dream job with help of graduate scheme

A university graduate from Edinburgh is finally putting his degree to good use after securing a role as an electrical engineer within the renewable energy sector.

Justin Okumu, 35, had previously struggled to find a role within his chosen field before being accepted for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) graduate training scheme, which he credits with helping him secure his ideal role. 

Now, Justin hopes to encourage future graduates to apply for the scheme, which is run through the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy and has reopened applications for placements in 2022. 

Funded by the Scottish Government’s £20m National Transition Training Fund, NMIS graduate training aims to bridge skills gaps in advanced manufacturing and support those struggling to find work as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic. 

This was exactly the case for Justin, who graduated in October 2020 with a degree in Energy and Sustainability from The Open University. Despite his qualifications, Justin found himself unable to find work in his specialised field – instead spending eight months working within hospitality. 

After several unsuccessful applications, Justin became aware of NMIS, which is operated by the University of Strathclyde. Following a successful interview for its graduate training scheme, he was awarded a fully-paid six month placement with Renewable Parts in Lochgilphead. 

The role allowed Justin to gain the necessary skills and build confidence in his abilities, while working in his desired sector. And, thanks to Justin’s hard work and dedication, Renewable Parts has offered him a permanent role as electrical engineer in the refurbishment centre.  

Justin said: “Graduating during the pandemic was a nightmare. Working full-time in my hospitality role, I’d spend most days thinking about job applications, then most evenings completing and sending them off – it was exhausting and demoralising.

“But the NMIS graduate training scheme was a lifeline, and I couldn’t have been placed with a better company. It provided me with the opportunity to put all my learning and skills to good use and build confidence in my own abilities. 

“I’d definitely encourage anyone graduating into manufacturing or engineering to apply for the scheme.”

Renewable Parts Ltd is a leading supply chain and refurbishment partner in the renewable energy industry with an operational centre in Renfrew and a refurbishment centre in Lochgilphead.

Working with wind energy providers and industry manufacturers, it offers a range of services including technical support, refurbishment and supply of parts.

Michael Forbes, General Manager of Refurbishment Engineering at Renewable Parts, said: “We were delighted to work with NMIS on the graduate training scheme, and with the high standard of applications. The business is growing, and the scheme allowed us to recruit for positions where otherwise we may have held off until a little later. 

“The placement was almost like a 6-month interview, allowing us to see how the graduates integrated with the existing workforce, and in Justin’s case it became clear early on that he was a very good fit for the business.”

For morning information on Renewable Parts Ltd visit www.renewable-parts.com/. 

For more information or to apply for the NMIS graduate training scheme as a business or individual visit https://www.nmis.scot/national-transition-training-fund/nmis-graduate-training

Long waiting times continue to put patient safety at serious risk

The latest A&E activity and waiting times for major Emergency Departments in Scotland for December 2021 show:

  • 73.7% of attendances were seen and resulted in subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within four hours
  • There were 97,644 attendances, a 6% decrease when compared to the previous month, November 2021
  • More than one in four patients were delayed by four hours or more
  • 5,342 patients were delayed by eight hours or more, equal to 5.5% of all attendances
  • 1,605 patients were delayed by 12 hours or more

Responding to these figures, Dr John Thomson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said: “With fewer attendances performance has plateaued but be in no doubt that the health service and its staff in Scotland remain under unprecedented pressure and increasing burnout.

“One in four patients face delays over four hours, while both eight- and 12-hour waits are still at record high levels not seen before 2021. What is deeply concerning is the pattern and the potential for these long waiting times to become the status quo in perpetuity.

“Both our own report Crowding and its Consequences (below) and a recent article in the Emergency Medicine Journal ‘Association between delays to patient admission from the emergency department and all-cause 30- day mortality’ detail the real harm, and in some cases death, that long waiting times can cause patients.

“The impact of this continued poor performance is distress and moral injury to staff and serious discomfort and risk to the safety of patients. This must be an urgent signal and call to action for system change. We have long called on the government to open 1,000 more beds in the system in Scotland, and to commit to publishing a long-term workforce plan. While there remains an urgent need to address the social care crisis to help patients be discharged from hospital in a timely way.

“Quite simply things cannot continue as they are, more patients will come to harm and staff will face increasing distress at the quality of care they are or, more significantly, aren’t able to provide. The government must recognise the severity of the situation and the risk that continued poor performance, long waiting times, patient harm, and sinking quality of care will continue to spiral.”

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Local Adult Education Courses starting this month

Green Woodwork in the Woods

This course will focus on learning to safely carve with wood carving knives to make a range of simple useful and decorative items from twigs and small pieces of wood.

Projects may include chop sticks, butter knives, spoons, flowers, animals, birds, etc. Other tools and projects may include shrink pots, coat hooks, small bowls, brooms. It takes place outdoors.

This is a 6 week course on Tuesdays from 1am – 12 noon, starting from 22nd February.

Enrol on www.joininedinburgh.org at least a week before (14th February) to secure a place.

Permaculture Garden Design

We will use the Salisbury Centre Garden as a base to explore various elements of permaculture and garden design. Ideally there will be some practical sessions in the course as well as theoretical. Students can decide if they want to make bird boxes or other projects.

This is a 6 week course on Mondays from 1pm – 3pm starting from 21st February.

Enrol on www.joininedinburgh.org at least a week before (14th February) to secure a place.

Essential DIY

This is a fun, informative 6 week course working with wood and developing basic DIY skills, for home improvement or for making frames or other personal wood based projects.

Learn to use carpentry tools, drills, sanding machinery as well as how best to upcycle furniture and optimum ways to paint. Everyone welcome – complete beginners who want to learn about safety and simple DIY and also more advanced DIY enthusiasts who would appreciate some tips and techniques.

This is a 6 week course on Mondays from 10am – 12 noon starting from 21st February. Enrol on www.joininedinburgh.org at least a week before (14th February) to secure a place.

SYP by-election Northern and Leith

The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) represents Scotland’s young people.

Democratically elected members listen to and recognise the issues that are most important to young people, ensuring that their voices are heard by decision-makers.  All young people aged between 14 and 25 years old can stand for election to the SYP. 

Following on from last year’s successful SYP elections in Edinburgh, one seat remains unfilled in Northern and Leith.  SYP rules state that the vacancy should be filled.

Where a seat is vacant, it can be filled through existing youth structures.  

We are therefore asking young people involved in pupil/student councils or other youth structures such as participation groups in youth work agencies if they are interested in becoming a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Northern and Leith.

Interested young people must live, study (i.e. go to school or college) or work in the constituency.

More information on becoming an MSYP is available at https://syp.org.uk/get-involved/have-your-voice-heard/

Any interested young people can contact Andy Welsh (andrew.welsh@ea.edin.sch.uk) if they are interested by Friday 11 February. 

Full training and support is provided.

Scottish Government: Exams on track

Contingency measures and support in place

It remains the Scottish Government’s ‘firm intention’ to hold National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams this Spring, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville restated yesterday.

Taking into consideration ongoing disruption within schools, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has decided to invoke its Scenario 2 contingency and will provide revision support in early March to aid learners in preparing for their exams. 

It complements the significant modifications SQA has already made to reduce the volume of assessment and ease the workload of learners, teachers and lecturers.

SQA also announced a series of measures that will support delivery of the qualifications this year and that acknowledge the disruption caused by the pandemic:

  • exceptional circumstances back-up for learners who are unable to attend their exam or exams due to illness or bereavement
  • grading exams this year will look to factor in the impact of the pandemic on learners
  • once the results have been published, learners will have free direct access to appeal

Ms Somerville also confirmed that £4 million will be used to support schools and colleges provide targeted exam preparation sessions for learners who need it most over the Easter break.

In a statement delivered in the Scottish Parliament, the Education Secretary said: “It remains my firm intention that exams will take place as planned – they will only be cancelled if public health advice says it isn’t safe.

“While the number of full and partial school closures has been small, it is clear that many secondary schools have experienced extreme disruption as a result of the Omicron variant – particularly in the first half of January – in relation to both student and teacher absences. 

“This package of measures is designed to ensure our learners are fully supported in their learning and preparations for the exams this year.”

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has confirmed that a package of support services – including some further help with exam revision – will be available for learners who are taking National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher courses in 2022.

It is still the clear intention for SQA exams to take place during April to June.

The additional support being announced today follows the significant modifications already made to course assessments at the start of the school year to help reduce the volume of assessment and ease the workload of learners, teachers and lecturers, whilst maintaining the credibility and integrity of the qualifications.

SQA has been closely monitoring the levels of disruption to learning and teaching across the country, including learner and staff absences.

Following discussion with partners across the education system, and agreement by the SQA Board of Management, SQA is now moving to ‘Scenario 2’. This means that some revision support will be published for learners during week beginning 7 March to help them with their revision in the final run up to their exams.

SQA will provide revision support for all courses that have an exam. This will be tailored to reflect different types of question papers, any modifications to the question papers that are already in place, and the type and volume of content that is assessed in each question paper.

Fiona Robertson, SQA Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examiner, said: “I fully understand that there remains significant disruption to learning and teaching caused by the pandemic.

“Teachers and lecturers across the country are working exceptionally hard to ensure learners receive all the support they need. I am also aware that learners may be feeling apprehensive or anxious about sitting formal exams for the first time this year.

“The substantial package of additional support SQA is announcing today is the fairest and best way we can help support all learners to demonstrate their level of knowledge, understanding and skills for each course, while also maintaining the integrity, credibility and standard of the qualifications.

“With the support of the education system, we will continue to do all we can to deliver for Scotland’s learners this year.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1488533375375876097

Jim Thewliss, General Secretary of School Leaders Scotland, said: “Given the significant disruption to learning and teaching as a consequence of staff and pupil absence, and the resultant level of anxiety which young people are experiencing in the lead up to National examinations, it is important that as comprehensive support as is possible to provide is made available to them.

“This wide-ranging support package will go a long way to enabling exam candidates to better demonstrate the true level of their knowledge and skills.”

Stewart Nicolson, from the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland said: “Given the level of disruption, it’s important that additional support has been identified for learners taking National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams this year.”

The other support services now available to learners are:

Exam exceptional circumstances service (available while exams are taking place)

This service is available for learners who are unable to attend an exam due to a reason beyond their control, such as a medical condition (including Covid-19 related absence) or bereavement, or who are affected by disruption on the day of the exam as reported by the Chief Invigilator.

The exam exceptional circumstances service will involve SQA appointees – practising teachers and lecturers – reviewing alternative assessment evidence that learners have completed through the year. Schools, colleges and training providers will need to send the evidence to SQA. This evidence will be judged against the national standard.

Grading (takes place once exams have been sat and marked)

In recognition of the disruption that learners have faced over the last two years, and the different approaches to assessment, this year we are prepared to be more generous in our approach to grading than in a normal year to factor in the impact of the pandemic on learners. In line with the approach being taken across the rest of the UK, SQA therefore expects that the overall outcomes in 2022 will represent an intermediary position between 2021 and pre-pandemic years.

SQA’s approach to grading the exams in 2022 will be based on its established awarding processes. Using ‘grade boundaries’ – the marks needed to achieve an A, B or C grade in each course – SQA will check that each assessment was set at the right standard or level of difficulty, making sure learners are treated fairly and that their grades accurately reflect what they know and can do.

During the grade boundary setting process, SQA appointees – practising teachers and lecturers who are subject experts in each course – will determine the 2022 grade boundaries by looking at all the available assessment evidence and course information, including the impact disruption has had on how learners have performed in the assessments.

This process also maintains the integrity and credibility of the qualifications and ensures learners are awarded the results they deserve. This is of vital interest to all those who hold qualifications now, for those who will achieve them in the future and for further and higher education establishments and employers.

Appeals service 2022 (after results have been published)

All parts of the Scottish education system agree that, as in any year, it is important that there is an appeals process available for learners who want to question their SQA results. In 2022, all learners will continue to have free direct access to the appeals service and a priority service will also be available for those applying to university, college, training or employment.

This year’s appeals service will involve SQA appointees – practising teachers and lecturers – who will review alternative assessment evidence that learners have completed through the year. This will be the same evidence as that used for an exam exceptional circumstances request, which will be judged against the same national standard for that course. SQA will also conduct a clerical check on the exam script. Schools, colleges and training providers will need to send the alternative assessment evidence to SQA.

Learners’ grades through the appeals process will be based upon the higher grade of the two types of evidence.

More information, including criteria for using the exam exceptional circumstances and appeals services, will be published over the coming weeks.

These measures have been developed in close consultation with members of the National Qualifications Group, including the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES); Colleges Scotland; Education Scotland; Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS); National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS); School Leaders Scotland (SLS); Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS); Scottish Government; Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA); Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).

Levelling Up: More than a slogan?

Government finally unveils ten year plan that ‘will transform UK’

  • Twelve bold national levelling up missions, given status in law, will shift government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten communities throughout 2020s
  • Biggest shift of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times announced – every part of England to get ‘London style’ powers and mayor if they wish to
  • Starting gun fired on decade-long project to level up Britain, with radical new policies announced across the board
  • Domestic public investment in Research & Development to increase by at least 40% across the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Today (2 February 2022) the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove will unveil the government’s flagship Levelling Up White Paper. This document will set out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.

The White Paper will set out a complete ‘system change’ of how government works that will be implemented to level up the UK.

At the heart of this new way of making and implementing policy will be 12 ‘bold, national missions’ – all quantifiable and to be achieved by 2030.

These missions (in full below) are the policy objectives for levelling up, and thus form the heart of the government’s agenda for the 2020s. They will be given status in law in a flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

These missions will be cross-government, cross-society efforts. The first mission, for instance, will see pay, employment, and productivity grow everywhere, and the disparities between the top and worst performing areas narrow. This is the first time a government has placed narrowing spatial economic disparities at the heart of its agenda before.

The Research & Development (R&D) mission will see domestic public R&D investment outside the Greater South East increase by at least 40% by 2030, with these funds leveraging a huge increase in private investment in these areas too.

By 2030, other missions will see:

  • the rest of the country’s local public transport systems becoming much closer to London standards
  • the large majority of the country gain access to 5G broadband
  • illiteracy and innumeracy in primary school leavers effectively eliminated – focussing the government’s education efforts on the most disadvantaged parts of the country

Other missions will see: hundreds of thousands more people completing high quality skills training every year, gross disparities in healthy life expectancy narrowed, the number of poor quality rented homes halved, the most run down town centres and communities across the country rejuvenated, a significant decrease in serious crime in the most blighted areas, and every part of England getting a ‘London-style’ devolution deal if they wish to.

The UK government will do whatever it can to achieve these missions. Government’s resources, energy, and focus throughout the 2020s will be re-oriented around achieving them – and thus squarely focussed on helping the people and parts of the country most struggling. Whilst the missions are UK-wide ambitions, in the many instances where they are driven by devolved policy levers, the UK government wishes to work hand in hand with the devolved governments to achieve them.

The missions will be underpinned by a suite of public metrics to track progress and monitor the evolution of spatial disparities. The UK government will legislate such that it has a statutory duty to publish an annual report updating the public on the progress of these missions, with a new Levelling Up Advisory Council including members such as Sir Paul Collier, renowned economist at Oxford’s Blavatnik’s School of Government, providing further support and constructive analysis.

Other parts of the ‘system change’ include: all policy across Whitehall being aligned with the levelling up agenda and therefore subject to spatial analysis, and a transformation of the government’s approach to data and evaluation – with a new independent body created to improve transparency of local government performance.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “The United Kingdom is an unparalleled success story. We have one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies. Ours is the world’s most spoken language. We have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any country other than America.

“But not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.

“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery.

“This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live will no longer determine how far you can go.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “From day one, the defining mission of this government has been to level up this country, to break the link between geography and destiny so that no matter where you live you have access to the same opportunities.

“The challenges we face have been embedded over generations and cannot be dug out overnight, but this White Paper is the next crucial step.

“It is a vision for the future that will see public spending on R&D increased in every part of the country; transport connectivity improving; faster broadband in every community; life expectancies rising; violent crime falling; schools improving; and private sector investment being unleashed.

“It is the most comprehensive, ambitious plan of its kind that this country has ever seen and it will ensure that the government continues to rise to the challenge and deliver for the people of the UK.”

‘Huge shift of power’ from Whitehall to local leaders

The UK government recognises that if it tries to level up the UK alone, it will fail. That is why the White Paper will detail the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders across England in modern times.

The government recognises the strong local leadership mayors like Andy Street, Ben Houchen and Andy Burnham have shown, and wishes to replicate this success across England.

Fundamental to this ‘devolution revolution’ will be a new model for England with more mayors for those areas that want one.

The UK Government will invite the first 9 areas to agree new county deals and seek to agree further MCA deals, extending devolution across England. The first 9 areas invited to begin negotiations will be Cornwall, Derbyshire & Derby, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, Durham, Hull & East Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire & Nottingham, and Suffolk.

The White Paper announces negotiations for a new Mayoral Combined Authority deal for York and North Yorkshire and expanded Mayoral Combined Authority deal for the North East, as well as negotiations for ‘trailblazer’ devolution deals with the West Midlands and Greater Manchester to extend their powers – with these deals acting as blueprints for other Mayoral Combined Authorities to follow.

By 2030, every part of England that wishes to have a ‘London-style’ devolution deal will have one.

The local devolution mission is relevant in England only, but the wider policy programme will see decentralisation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to local areas in Scotland and Wales.

‘Radical new policy’ to level up announced

The White Paper represents a long term plan to transform the UK, but it also sets out the first steps the government is taking to achieve this:

Boosting pay and productivity, especially in places where they are lagging

  • To contribute towards domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East increasing by at least 40% by 2030, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have committed to invest at least 55% of their domestic R&D funding outside the Greater South East by 2024/5. Commitments to increase public investment have been made by DHSC, MOD, DfT and Defra. For instance, the Department for Health and Social Care will be increasing their medical research investment outside London, Oxford and Cambridge.
  • The White Paper also announces 3 new Innovation Accelerators, major place-based centres of innovation, centred on Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and Glasgow-City Region. These clusters of innovation will see local businesses and researchers in these areas backed by £100 million of new government funding to turbo-charge local growth, learning from the MIT-Greater Boston and Stanford-Silicon Valley models.
  • The document further sets out the government’s intention to mobilise £16 billion of the Local Government Pension Scheme for investments in local projects – recognising that too much at present is invested outside the UK.
  • The government will fund ambitious plans for bus improvements in areas where this can make the most impact, including the mayoral city-regions, Stoke-on-Trent, Derbyshire and Warrington.

Spreading opportunities and improving public services, especially where they are weakest

  • 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) will be designated in local authorities in England where school outcomes are currently weakest. These areas, 95% of which are outside London and the South East, will benefit from intensive investment and support. This will ensure the worst off schools of the North, Midlands, South West and East of England receive the most support over this decade. They will be supported by the Department for Education (DfE) offering retention payments to schools in these areas ensuring they can retain the best teachers. And will be prioritised for new specialist sixth form free schools that will ensure talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the highest standard of education this country offers.
  • Local Skills Improvement Plans will be rolled out with funding across England, giving local employer bodies and stakeholders a statutory role in planning skills training in their area, to better meet local labour market needs.
  • The government will set out its strategy to tackle the core drivers of health inequalities through a new White Paper on Health Disparities published this year.
  • Recommendations will be taken forward from Henry Dimbleby’s review towards a National Food Strategy. DfE will work with the Food Standards Agency to pilot measures to ensure greater compliance with the school food standards. The government will pilot the Community Eat Well programme, enabling GPs to prescribe exercise and healthy food.

Restoring local pride

  • The government will support 20 of our towns and city centres, starting off with Wolverhampton and Sheffield, undertaking ambitious, King’s Cross-style regeneration projects, transforming derelict urban sites into beautiful communities. This work will be spearheaded by Homes England, which will be repurposed to, in addition to its existing functions, regenerate towns and cities.
  • The ‘80/20 rule’ which leads to 80% of government funding for housing supply being directed at ‘maximum affordability areas’ – in practice, London and the South East – will be scrapped, with much of the £1.8 billion brownfield funding instead being diverted to transforming brownfield sites in the North and Midlands. The Metro Mayors will be allocated £120 million of this funding.
  • The government will announce a plan that for the first time ever, all homes in the Private Rented Sector will have to meet a minimum standard – the Decent Homes Standard. Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will further be abolished, ending the unfair situation where renters can be kicked out of their homes for no reason. We will consult on introducing a landlords register, and will set out plans for a crackdown on rogue landlords – making sure fines and bans stop repeat offenders leaving renters in terrible conditions.
  • Home ownership will be boosted due to a new £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund being launched, which will provide loans to SMEs and support the UK government’s wider regeneration agenda in areas that are a priority for levelling up.
  • The government will further commit to building more genuinely affordable social housing. A new Social Housing Regulation Bill will deliver upon the commitments the government made following the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.
  • The White Paper will commit the government to significantly increasing cultural spending outside the capital, and commit that 100% of the Arts Council England funding uplift agreed at the latest Spending Review will be spent outside London.
  • A new National Youth Guarantee will be launched so that by 2025 every young person in England will have access to regular out of school activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer.
  • A review of the Community Ownership Fund will occur so that more fans can take control of their vital local assets such as football club grounds. A £230 million investment in grassroots football will be delivered, with funding this year to deliver 850 pitches in England alone with further funding to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • £44 million will be unlocked from the Dormant Assets Scheme to support charities, social enterprises, and vulnerable individuals. With a consultation on the best causes for a further £880 million later this year, which will include a community wealth fund, youth and social investment.
  • The White Paper will announce 68 more local authorities to be supported by the High Streets Task Force to transform their town centres.
  • The government will give local authorities the power to require landlords of empty shops to fill them if they have been left vacant for too long.
  • £50 million from the Safer Streets Fund will be invested every year to give Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, and also certain civil society organisations in England and Wales the resources they need to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
  • To ensure those who transgress repair the damage they cause, £93 million will be invested in scaling up the amount of unpaid work that offenders to around 8 million hours per year – 1.75 million hours higher than any time since records began in 2015. Police officers will also gain the power to deal with noise nuisance.
  • Building on investment from the 10-year Drugs Strategy, the government will work intensively with the local authorities of 10-20 areas most affected by prolific neighbourhood crime.

Empowering local leaders

In addition to the policies announced above, such as offering a ‘London-style’ devolution settlement to every part of England:

  • Announcing for the first time a new devolution framework which sets out a clear menu of options for places in England that wish to unlock the benefits of devolution, whether that is moving towards a London-style transport system to connect people to opportunity, improving local skills provision, or being able to act more flexibly and innovatively to respond to local need.
  • The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be decentralised to local leaders as far as possible, with investments set to regenerate communities, boost people’s skills, and support local businesses.
  • A commitment to vastly simplify the local growth funding landscape to allow local leaders to drive tangible, visible change in their communities.

Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of Make UK, said: “Manufacturers will enthusiastically embrace this strategy which is a vital building block in spreading growth to all parts of the UK.

“The sector has a significant presence in exactly the areas which need levelling up and is playing a vital role in delivering high value skills. While there is substantially more to be done, this focus on skills and innovation, together with an emphasis on infrastructure and place, is the right starting point and one that industry will back.”

The 12 Missions to Level Up the UK

1. By 2030, pay, employment and productivity will have risen in every area of the UK, with each containing a globally competitive city, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.

2. By 2030, domestic public investment in Research & Development outside the Greater South East will increase by at least 40% and at least one third over the Spending Review period, with that additional government funding seeking to leverage at least twice as much private sector investment over the long term to stimulate innovation and productivity growth.

3. By 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.

4. By 2030, the UK will have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.

5. By 2030, the number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, this will mean 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third.

6. By 2030, the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.

7. By 2030, the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by 5 years.

8. By 2030, well-being will have improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.

9. By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.

10. By 2030, renters will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas; and the government’s ambition is for the number of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.

11. By 2030, homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.

12. By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR SCOTLAND?

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, will write to the leaders of the devolved administrations to invite them to work together to deliver for people across the UK.

Proposals will include using the new structures created in the landmark Intergovernmental Relations Review to drive collaboration to overcome geographical disparities and the creation of a new body to share evidence and analyse success in devolved policy areas across the UK.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “I welcome the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper and urge the Scottish Government and local partners to work closely with us improving lives across Scotland.

“Initiatives such as the Glasgow City-Region becoming an Innovation Accelerator, unlocking access to a share of £100 million of new funding, will help Scotland continue its vital role in keeping the UK at the forefront of global science and research.

“Thanks to locally led partnerships working closely with the UK Government, the region will become a major innovation cluster delivering high end jobs. This, along with the UK Government’s commitment to invest £20 billion research and development budget outside the Greater South East of England, is great news for Scotland and the wider UK as we deliver on our levelling up commitments.”

Amongst the UK-wide policies the UK Government will drive are:

  • A 40% increase in domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East of England by 2030. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have committed to invest at least 55% of their domestic R&D funding outside the Greater South East by 2024/5.
  • Decentralisation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to local areas in Scotland and Wales.
  • Nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage across the UK and 5G coverage for most of the population.

Fort Community Centre set to host Leith Library services

The city council is looking at how they can offer alternative locations for library services on a temporary basis for the communities where buildings are currently being used as COVID Testing Centres – principally Leith, Oxgangs and Newington Libraries.

Work to take forward plans to prepare and adapt the space available in Fort Community Centre has already started, which will allow some library services to restart alongside the Early Years Centre in North Fort Street.   

The community centre is just a six minute walk from Leith Library and, once ready, will aim to provide the following services:

  • customers borrowing, returning and reserving library stock
  • bus pass applications
  • Hey Girls sanitary provision
  • hearing Aid batteries
  • food recycling bags
  • Bookbug under 5s rhyme times for children and their parents/ carers

CEC is also looking at ways to provide adult group activities in the building subject to Covid guidance. The intention is for the services to be running from Monday to Saturday and to build up the opening hours to closely match existing Leith Library ones.  

More information will be provided soon, as the plans are developed further. Work is also underway to identify suitable alternative properties in the Oxgangs and Newington areas for their library services.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “I’m really pleased we’ll be able to relocate these essential services to the Fort Community Centre, which is only a few minutes walk from the existing Leith Library building, on a temporary basis until we get Leith Library back fully functioning.  

“There is so much more to libraries in addition to borrowing books – they are trusted and much-loved hubs and bring local communities together. Although our online provision during the pandemic has been incredibly successful there’s no substitute for physical access.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said: “I’m sure the local community will be delighted to hear that the services provided by Leith Library will soon be available from the nearby Fort Community Centre. All our libraries are centres of learning and information and are also essential for the wellbeing of our citizens.

“We’re actively looking at how we can provide more services for our other communities where libraries are being used as test centres and we’ll do everything we can to get these up and running as well. I want to thank all the hard work and efforts from the various Council teams who worked so hard to achieve this.”

Survey reveals Scots top tips for tackling the winter blues

With the winter months proving a depressing time for many, a new survey conducted by vape brand, blu, has revealed Scots’ favourite ways to boost their mood.

While the New Year may offer a ray of light for some in these dark times, the research shows that almost half of Scots (42%) feel their lowest in January and February.

Somewhat unsurprisingly for Scotland, the main reason for feeling low at this time of year is the dismal weather, with almost two thirds (61%) saying poor weather gets them down.

With a flurry of bad news around COVID-19 and the rising cost of living bombarding Scots 24/7, the news came a close second with half of respondents (51%) saying it has a negative effect on their mood, closely followed by money woes at 44%.

In a bid to combat all these negative vibes, the survey highlights the top ways the Scottish lift their mood and tackle the winter blues. Topping the list at half (50%) of respondents is listening to music, as they look for a way to escape from the doom and gloom experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With food and drink recognised by over half (58%) as having a positive impact on their mood, 42% of respondents say they’ll be eating tasty treats – it seems that healthy eating resolutions may have been put aside in a bid to feel better!

Socialising was seen by almost half (48%) as another great mood boosting tactic, with 42% looking to spend more time with friends and family.

Almost two fifths (36%) of Scots exercise in order to boost their mood, while over a quarter (28%) have an alcoholic drink to cope with the gloom, shedding any dry January resolutions. Indulging in a bit retail therapy was the choice of 19% of respondents.

Making a getaway from the workplace is another big focus with nearly a fifth of respondents (18%) booking time off work.

Colette Flowerdew-Kincaid, Digital Content Manager at blu says: “It’s great to see the resilient and positive approach people take in boosting their mood to battle winter blues.

“Listening to music topped the list. Seeing friends and family is another popular way to banish the blues, with many looking to make up for lost time due to COVID-19. The important thing is to recognise that we might be low in winter and to be kind to ourselves, as well as others.”

Research Summary

Top things that have a positive impact on mood:

·       Good weather – 73% Scotland / 76% UK

·       Food & Drink – 58% Scotland / 60% UK

·       Social life – 48% Scotland / 49% UK

Top things that have a negative impact on mood:

·       Bad weather – 61% Scotland / 60% UK

·       The news – 51% Scotland / 50% UK

·       Money situation – 44% Scotland / 44% UK

Top ways to lift your mood:

·       Listening to music – 50% Scotland / 49% UK

·       Spending time with friends and family – 42% Scotland / 40% UK

·       Eating something tasty – 42% Scotland / 38% UK

·       Do some exercise – 36% Scotland / 28% UK

·       Have an alcoholic drink – 28% Scotland / 23% UK

·       Retail therapy – 20% Scotland / 21% UK

·       Take time off work – 18% Scotland / 14% UK

For more top tips on how to beat the winter blues, check out the latest blog at blu.com.

Westminster Parliament’s underground secrets to be examined

Small businesses appointed to next stage of restoration work

  • Experts will dig boreholes to carry out underground investigations and carry out archaeological digs, look at how best to repair crumbling historic stonework, and inspect asbestos in more detail.
  • Suppliers from across the country will carry out in-depth survey work, with two thirds classed as small and medium sized businesses.
  • Palace of Westminster investigations are vital to continue developing most detailed record of Parliament ever created ahead of essential restoration programme.

Engineers and construction experts planning the essential work to save the failing Palace of Westminster will soon be unearthing the 150-year-old building’s secrets as part of the next stage of detailed and in-depth investigations.

Investigators will carry out dozens of detailed building surveys, looking at historic stonework, digging boreholes to carry out underground examinations, carrying out archaeological digs, and mapping out asbestos in more detail.

Tens of thousands of hours of building surveys have already been carried out as the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme, set up in law to save and restore the building, develops a detailed plan that will for the first time set out costs and timescales for the essential work. Parliament will be invited to approve this detailed plan next year.

In recent months, surveyors have been looking at a range of issues, including crumbling stonework and cracking ceilings. Over the Christmas recess, dozens of experts surveyed hundreds of areas for potential asbestos. Next month, teams will carry out a further 19 studies over Parliament’s February recess period.

The next phase will see engineers and surveyors undertaking larger and more in-depth surveys to understand the condition of Parliament in far greater detail than ever before. This work is essential as the restoration programme develops the detailed and costed restoration plan which Parliament will be invited to approve next year.

Experts will dig around 20 boreholes to develop an understanding of the ground conditions at the Palace of Westminster to assist in ongoing design work.

Elsewhere, building measuring devices will be installed across Parliament to monitor any structural movement. Specialist teams will continue to inspect the hundreds of miles of power cables, gas, water and heating pipes and sewerage, and further in-depth asbestos surveys will be carried out to build on existing records.

Specialist heritage teams are also getting on with the enormous task of recording and tagging every one of the 13,000 heritage items including furniture, artwork and statues, all of which will need removing and storing in controlled conditions during the programme of work to restore the Palace of Westminster.

David Goldstone, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “Small businesses are at the heart of local economies, bringing growth, and innovation, so I’m delighted to be working with so many from right across the country as we carry out dozens more intensive surveys of the Palace of Westminster.

“The hard work of these specialists will be invaluable in developing the detailed plan for Parliament’s restoration and renewal that will for the first time set out the true costs of the work needed to save the building.”

Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body said: “Our thorough and careful work to map out all the issues that need fixing within the Palace of Westminster is a vital part of the essential restoration of the iconic 150-year-old building.”

Following a thorough procurement process, 18 businesses have been appointed to a commercial framework agreement, with around £10m of contracts expected this year to investigate the Palace as the detailed restoration plan continues to be developed.

Of the 18 businesses appointed, over two thirds (67%) are small to medium sized, showing the opportunity for firms of all sizes and from across the nation to be involved in the restoration of the Palace of Westminster.  

In total, there are eight categories where suppliers have been appointed.

The categories are:

  • Civil Engineering / Structural
  • Ground Investigations & Geotechnical
  • Instrumentation & Monitoring
  • Environmental
  • Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health
  • Archaeology
  • Asbestos Removal
  • Conservation Contractor

The new framework agreement sets up the next tranche of more detailed and intrusive surveys which are an essential step in the development of a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan for Palace of Westminster which Parliament will be invited to approve next year.

Despite the dedicated work of Parliament’s in-house teams, the building itself is falling apart faster than it can be fixed and needs a programme of essential restoration.

The annual cost of maintenance and ongoing projects to keep the building operating continues to increase. Costs have doubled in just three years, to £127m a year – more than £2.5m a week. The National Audit Office recently stated that House authorities expect to spend another £308m on repairs and maintenance by 2025.

Over the summer and autumn of 2021, 50 highly skilled engineers, architectural surveyors, acoustics, lighting specialists and ecologists, spent a combined 4,700 hours visually inspecting the building.

In total, 2,343 rooms and spaces were examined, with experts recording thousands of issues including cracks in stonework, widespread water damage, and analysing the complex network of outdated electrical and mechanical systems.

Further surveying conducted throughout winter examined lighting levels, building risers and the presence of asbestos.

Throughout 2022 and 2023 hundreds of further in-depth surveys will be carried out, building on tens of thousands of hours of investigations already completed.

Individual survey contracts within the new framework are expected to be announced from March onwards, with building investigators on-site soon after.  Every supplier will go through the same rigorous security checks as existing Parliamentary contractors and suppliers.

The 18 successful suppliers scored highly (75%) on a new Government procurement measure aimed at levelling up, that considers the number of local jobs or apprenticeships a contractor will provide, the care they show the environment in their business practices, how they drive equal opportunity and the number of SMEs involved in their wider supply chain.

The measure came into effect in January 2021 to promote new jobs and skills, encourage economic growth and prosperity, tackle climate change and level up the UK.

There will be many more opportunities for SMEs to get involved in the Restoration and Renewal programme, which is meeting business groups across the UK as it develops a commercial, procurement and skills development approach.

Restoring the building will create thousands of jobs across the UK, including through an industry-leading apprentice loan scheme that will see around 160 apprentices, including engineers, designers, stonemasons, and carpenters, employed by the organisations overseeing and delivering the restoration of the Palace of Westminster and loaned to UK businesses working on the restoration.