Tag: Scottish Government

Action on gender inequalities: new plan to tackle gender pay gap

Steps to tackle gender discrimination and inequalities in the workplace have been set out in the Scottish Government’s first Gender Pay Gap Action Plan. Continue reading Action on gender inequalities: new plan to tackle gender pay gap

Capital loses out on Regeneration Funding

More than 600 jobs to be created or supported – but nowt for Edinburgh

Communities across Scotland are to benefit from a share of £20.4m to support local regeneration activity. Eighteen projects from across the country are being awarded funding in 2019/20 as part of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) – but none are from Edinburgh.

The joint Scottish Government and COSLA investment will help to support or create more than 600 jobs. It will refurbish and bring back into use 17 buildings, create more than 6,400 square metres of business space and support 64 community facilities and services which will benefit more than 150 businesses or enterprises.

Aileen Campbell, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government (above), said: “I’m really pleased that 18 fantastic, community-led projects will benefit from this significant investment. Projects right across Scotland will receive support which will regenerate their local area by stimulating inclusive growth and supporting and creating jobs.

“The projects being supported are wide ranging and collectively will help tackle inequality and support inclusive growth in disadvantaged communities and fragile rural areas.

“These projects will deliver new training places and volunteering opportunities and support new community assets. This will build community cohesion, help tackle poverty, address health inequality and provide childcare facilities while bringing back into use historic and landmark buildings.”

COSLA’s Environment and Economy Spokesperson, Councillor Steven Heddle, said: “I’m delighted to see these further projects to be funded by the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund in 2019/20. These diverse projects from local authorities across Scotland all reflect localised approaches to regeneration and will deliver strong physical, economic, and social outcomes.

“Importantly, these projects also allow councils to deliver on the regeneration aspirations of the communities they represent. It’s heartening to see the impact this fund is having and I look forward to seeing what projects come forward for funding in the future.”

View a list of the 18 projects awarded RCGF funding in 2019 to 2020.

A total of 136 projects have been recommended for support from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund since 2014/15. Funding has been confirmed for the remainder of the current parliamentary term, subject to annual spending reviews.

The fund, which has been developed in partnership with COSLA and local authorities, is open to all 32 Scottish local authorities and their Special Purpose Vehicles. An independent panel makes recommendations to the Scottish Ministers and COSLA on which projects should receive funding.

Examples of Projects Supported

Glasgow City Council Govanhill Baths Refurbishment £2,150,000

Govanhill Baths, located in the Southside Central Ward in Glasgow, is a B-listed Edwardian former public baths house, currently on the Buildings at Risk Register. Funding will support Govanhill Baths Community Trust (GBCT) towards the aim of fully reopening the baths for the local population and the people of Glasgow and key areas of this important Edwardian building to its original function.

The refurbished spaces will also support the expansion of existing social enterprise initiatives for people in Govanhill, designed to respond to the needs of local people, providing opportunities for employment, volunteering and vocational development.

Aberdeen City Council Torry Community Hub £2,000,000

The project will deliver a new purpose-built community hub in Torry. The ethos of the hub is to provide integrated services on a flexible basis in one place, which meets the community’s future needs and delivers early intervention. It will also provide a community cafe and will encourage new users to access services.

Angus Council Montrose Playhouse Project £2,260,000

This project will see the transformation of a derelict former swimming pool in the town centre of Montrose into a community hub for arts and education benefitting north Angus and lower Aberdeenshire. The Montrose Playhouse will include an adaptable three screen cinema, education and exhibition spaces, retail space and a café bar. This project is a working partnership with Montrose Playhouse Project SCIO (MPP) – a group of local volunteers, and Angus Council.

Inverclyde Council Craigend Resource Centre £1,187,129

The project will see the old centre demolished and a new facility built in its place that will better serve the people of Craigend. The new centre will include a bigger and better café area, increased laundry facilities, a large community hall, a crèche space, a small interview/meeting space and an IT and learning space.

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Grinneabhat £368 338

The project will redevelop the former Bragar School, which closed in 2013. The Grinneabhat Project, which has been developed by the community through extensive consultation, will deliver the following outcomes; the building will undergo a full refurbishment to include an exhibition space to showcase historical and cultural displays and local artists’ work and there will be a comfortable homely room as well as an outdoor community gardening space.

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Cnoc Soilleir £1,800,000

The project will support the establishment of a new state-of-the art modern building for Gaelic and cultural heritage in South Uist, including Gaidhlig language, music, dance and education. The building has been designed to become a local focal point for the community and visitors, and to meet exemplary energy efficiency standards and minimize running costs. Cnoc Soilleir (CS) is a £9.9 million transformational community-regeneration project. It is an innovative joint venture between Ceòlas, a community organization based in Daliburgh in South Uist, and Lews Castle College UHI (LCC).

Stirling Council Cowie Regeneration Project £983,600

The project will see a derelict shop on the Main Street of Cowie redeveloped to provide a community hub. The existing building will be demolished and a new two-storey building will be constructed on the site. The building will provide flexible spaces which can be used for training and development and social and community activity, with its main focus being a digital learning space for all ages. It will also include business start-up accommodation and will support flexible space for training and community activity. In addition, there will be programmes for health and wellbeing and a social café for all ages.

 

 

Bloody Big Brunch at Edinburgh Napier University

Students and staff from Edinburgh Napier University came together yesterday at a special event that aims to help end period poverty across the country. All three of the University’s campuses – Merchiston, Sighthill and Craiglockhart – hosted a Bloody Big Brunch event.  Continue reading Bloody Big Brunch at Edinburgh Napier University

Unions call for ‘level playing field’ as Scotland loses out on £2.8 billion contract

BiFab trade unions GMB and Unite have today said a ‘level playing field’ is needed if Scotland is to secure the large-scale manufacturing contracts from its own offshore renewables sector – and they are asking the First Minister and the Scottish Parliament to intervene. Continue reading Unions call for ‘level playing field’ as Scotland loses out on £2.8 billion contract

£50 million to improve mental health care for new mums

More than £50 million is to be spent on improving access to mental health services for expectant and new mothers, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The new money will provide access to treatment for an additional 11,000 women who experience mental health problems during and after their pregnancy. Perinatal mental illness affects up to 20% of women, and covers a wide range of conditions. If left untreated, it can have long lasting effects on women and their families.

New models of service delivery will be introduced, including specialist care for acute perinatal mental health problems and improved infant mental health services.

A new needs assessment report, funded by the Scottish Government, has been published by the national Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for perinatal mental health. The report outlines recommendations to improve the provision of mental health care for expectant and new mothers and their families.

Speaking on a visit to the mother and baby unit at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, the First Minister said: “Our priority is to drive up standards of perinatal metal health care for new mothers and their children right across Scotland.

“Mental illness during pregnancy and during the first year after birth is really common, affecting up to one in five women, which is 11,000 a year.

“This new funding will identify mental health problems quickly so they can be treated promptly. Women and their families should also expect services to treat them with dignity and respect.

“The impact is not just felt by women. The mental and physical health of fathers and other partners can also be affected following the birth of a new baby. We also know that between 5% and 10% of fathers may develop mental health problems in the perinatal period.”

Dr Roch Cantwell, Lead clinician for the Perinatal Mental Health National Managed Clinical Network, said: “This report results from the enthusiasm, dedication and drive of women and their families who experience perinatal mental ill health, and the professionals who care for them across Scotland. Perinatal mental illness can be devastating, but we know that there are effective treatments which can manage and, in some circumstances, prevent its onset.

“The needs assessment and service recommendations report gives us a template to establish services which will ensure that women, their infants and families, receive expert care wherever they live in Scotland and that children can have the best start in life.”

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board – chaired by Hugh Masters – will oversee and manage the £50 million investment.

The Perinatal Mental Health Managed Clinical Network is a Scotland-wide network of specialist clinicians focused on improving perinatal mental health.

The needs assessment report can be found here

Nationwide apprentice network “will inspire next generation”

Pupils in every high school across Scotland will benefit from a new national network of apprentices, helping to inspire future generations to benefit from apprenticeship opportunities.

Scotland’s Apprentice Network is open to current and former apprentices who want to encourage young people to follow in their footsteps, with every school in Scotland to be linked with an ambassador from the network.

The network was launched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Forth Valley College, where she met engineering apprentices as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

The First Minister said: “Creating this network of apprentices, who can share their experiences with others, will help inspire the next generation.

“We know that work-based learning delivers for individuals, employers, and the Scottish economy. Through the network, apprentices are going to have the chance to inspire young people to follow their example and become the apprentices of tomorrow.

“Their success stories are the best way to show pupils that work-based learning offers fantastic career opportunities.”

Director of National Training Programmes at Skills Development Scotland, Katie Hutton, said: “We know that the best people to showcase the benefits of apprenticeships are successful apprentices.

“Through the network, apprentices will have a unique opportunity to talk directly to school pupils who are making their career choices and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.”

Scotland’s Apprentice Network is facilitated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). SDS will ensure the inclusive recruitment of network members, from across the whole of Scotland, different sectors, industries and disciplines.

Network members will use their own first-hand experiences to communicate the benefits of Foundation, Modern and Graduate apprenticeships to young people, employers, parents, schools and other stakeholders at a local level, ensuring employers and schools can benefit from the national network.

Current and former apprentices are being encouraged to sign up and join the network – www.apprenticeships.scot/network

 

 

Over 1,300 Graduate Apprenticeship places for 2019/20.

More than 1,300 new Graduate Apprenticeship work-based learning opportunities will help boost Scotland’s economy and give people a head-start in their careers.

Fair Work Secretary Derek Mackay announced that the target for Graduate Apprenticeships in 2019/20 has been increased to 1,300. This builds on last year’s achieved target of 800 and recognises the increasing demand for gaining degree level qualifications whilst in employment.

Graduate Apprenticeships have been developed by Skills Development Scotland, in partnership with industry and the further and higher education sectors, to provide work-based learning opportunities up to Master’s degree level.

Supporting sectors that have a need for highly skilled jobs, such as civil engineering, digital and cyber security, graduate apprenticeships provide learning and development opportunities for new and existing employees and enable employers to upskill their workforce.

The growth of Graduate Apprenticeships supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to create 30,000 apprenticeship jobs a year by 2020.

Making the announcement ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, Mr Mackay said: “Apprenticeships are a vital piece of the jigsaw to improve Scotland’s productivity, benefitting individuals, employers and the wider economy. That is why we are investing in more apprenticeship opportunities than ever before, ensuing more people benefit from work-based learning.

“We remain firmly on track to achieve our ambitious target of 30,000 new apprenticeship starts by 2020, with a focus on higher level apprenticeships. By increasing the number of Graduate Apprenticeships available for 2019/20 to more than 1,300, more people will have the opportunity to study while they earn and gain first-hand experience of their industry.”

The expansion includes the wider roll out of the Graduate Apprenticeship in Data Science, following a successful pilot funded by the Scottish Government and run in partnership with St Andrews University, University of Edinburgh and global accounting and business services firm, PwC.

Access to Graduate Apprenticeships has also increased through provision, with opportunities available for the first time through University of Aberdeen.

Skills Development Scotland Chief Executive Damien Yeates said: “Apprenticeships offer employers a unique opportunity to invest in and develop the skills their business needs for the future.

“SDS continues to work with business to increase the number of new apprenticeship jobs through Modern and Graduate opportunities – creating skills that meet their needs.

“Scottish apprenticeships now allow employers to introduce young people to their business while they are still at school and keep them in their workforce until they are degree qualified.”

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is the nationwide campaign aimed at encouraging more employers to take on apprentices.

This year’s theme is ‘Skills for the Future’, recognising the importance of investing in the workforce. The hashtag for the week is #ScotAppWeek.

Graduate Apprenticeship delivery partners include:

  • Edinburgh Napier University
  • Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Glasgow Kelvin College
  • Heriot-Watt University
  • Open University
  • Queen Margaret University
  • Robert Gordon University
  • University of the West of Scotland
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of Dundee
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Strathclyde
  • University of the Highlands and Islands