Follow up information from Committee meeting 15 December 2021
January 2022
The Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland (SAPRS) was published in 2019 and is a framework for Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and partner action to develop skills in rural Scotland. SDS has played a key role in working with members of the Implementation Steering Group for the SAPRS to drive action that will help to support the implementation of the five priority areas around which the plan is built.
As part of this, in 2020 SDS developed new Regional Skills Assessments for Rural Scotland enabling key labour market information to be presented at a rural spatial level in line with the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) definition. This provides an evidence base to inform rural skills planning across a range of different partners. The latest update to the documents was published in July 2021.
A wide range of activity is underway to help businesses in rural areas to access and develop the talent they need both now and in the future. This includes:
• The delivery of SDS’ nationally available products and services in rural and remote areas across Scotland. This includes Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships as well as other products such as Skills for Growth.
• Use of funding streams such as the National Transition Training Fund to identify and respond to opportunities.
• Work in rural regions, through extensive local and regional partner networks, to support projects and interventions which respond to identified needs in rural and remote communities.
It is also important to recognise that Scotland’s rural economy is uniquely well placed to take advantage of a net zero transition due to its natural resources, supply chain expertise, physical infrastructure and early track record in the energy transition. Therefore, work currently underway to implement the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan will also be of relevance to Scotland’s rural areas.
In 2019/20, there were a total of 8,773 Modern Apprenticeships (MA) starts across rural Scotland, as defined by the Scottish Government RESAS definition of Rural Scotland which is in line with the definition used in the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland. Apprenticeship starts decreased across Scotland in 2020/21 (-33%) as a result of the of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Rural Scotland there were 6,262 starts in 2020/21 – a percentage decrease of 29%.Figures are only available up to and including Quarter 2 for 21/22 and show that at the end of Quarter 2 there had been a total of 3,506 starts in MAs across rural areas.
SDS is keen to promote apprenticeships in rural areas, highlighting the wide range of career pathways that are available in our rural and remote communities and showcasing examples of rural employers who are investing in their workforce. Some examples of Modern Apprenticeship case studies that have been produced in support of this include:
Sectors sustainable approach supports stream of apprenticeships
Callum nets successful career through Modern Apprenticeship
Careers advice helps Eilidh get her dream job
Practice made perfect for islander Megan
See table 1 in Annex A
Table 2 below shows the number of MA starts between 2019/20 and Q2 2021/22 across the Land-Based Frameworks. In contrast to declining overall numbers in Scotland between 2019/20 and 2020/21, there was an increase in the number of some of the Land-Based Frameworks including Agriculture, Aquaculture, Aquaculture Management Technical Apprenticeship, Equine and Trees and Timber.
Other land-based frameworks decreased in 2020/21 including Game and Wildlife, Horticulture, Land-Based Engineering and Wood and Timber Industries, again apprenticeship starts in this period being impacted by the pandemic.
See Table 2 in Annex A
Again, SDS is keen to promote apprenticeships in the land-based sectors and in 2021, as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, SDS provided funding support for an advertorial in
The Scottish Farmer urging farmers and crofters to become mentors and highlighting the value that fresh new talent can bring to the workplace. Support is also being provided around this in 2022.
The Land Based Pre-Apprenticeship Programme (LBPAP) is a three-year pilot funded by the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland, although ultimately funding responsibility lies with the Scottish Government. Officials are currently reviewing all the information available on the programme and considering the sustainability of the offer. The LBPAP pilot needs to be considered alongside budgets available for 2022/23 and the Scottish Government’s policy priorities. Officials are collating all the relevant information to allow Ministers to make a decision on next steps.
For the financial year March 2020 – April 2021, a total of 46 pre-apprentices started on the Land-Based Pre-Apprenticeship which is being delivered by three machinery rings – Ringlink, Tarff Valley and Borders Machinery Ring.
For the financial year April 2021 to March 2022, there have been 47 starts on the programme with a potential for a further 13 starts for January/February 2022 to account for seasonal demand.
Table 3 below shows the number of Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) opportunities being realised across rural areas. Since 2016, there has been an increase in the number of local authorities offering FA opportunities and volumes being offered.
SDS has been helping to showcase where FAs are working in practice with case studies such as the automotive Foundation Apprenticeship (Level 4) in through Highland Youth Charity Day 1 and delivery of a number of FA frameworks within the Western Isles.
A blog piece on the SDS website about Foundation Apprenticeships in Aberdeenshire looks at how FAs foster stronger links between business and education helping to ensure that local employers can play a more active role in developing the young workforce.
See Table 3 in Annex A
Table 4 below shows the number of Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) opportunities being undertaken by employers across rural areas. Since 2017/18, the number of employers engaging with GAs has increased across rural local authorities.
See Table 4 in Annex A
Skills For Growth is a service which is delivered in partnership with specialists Connect Three, The Leadership Factory, Pragmatique and Remarkable. SDS advisers work with businesses to help identify any learning needs to help build the skills that they’ll need to build for the future. It’s a fully funded service where employers will have their own specialist adviser from SDS as well as a specialist consultant. They will then produce a People Skills Action Plan to help focus investment in the workforce and also signpost to funding, training providers and other support.
A total of 98 rural businesses have been supported through Skills for Growth between 2019/20 and 2021/22 and there are examples of where this has been has been applied in rural settings, showcased in the case study for Isle of Raasay Distillery. This case study demonstrates how Skills for Growth can help small rural employers to identify key areas for development such as in HR, communications and bringing apprentices into the workforce.
SDS worked with colleagues in Scottish Government to support the development of National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) activity which would have reach and impact in some of Scotland’s rural communities. Some of the projects to date include:
The NTTF Seafood Transformation: Management Development: 4.0 Food & Drink, was a collaborative project with Seafood Scotland, SDS, Scottish Enterprise, and Opportunity North East, which aimed to upskill and re-skill the sectoral workforce with a focus on building the leadership capability of individuals across the industry with an ambition to grow their businesses and lead on transformational change. Individuals involved benefitted from management and leadership programme and support with 360-degree feedback and coaching
The NTTF Seafood Business Improvement project has been designed to upskill and reskill workers in the sector and support businesses who have been impacted by the pandemic and Brexit. An industry skills diagnostic has been designed to create workforce development plans for businesses, that will increase skills levels, and improve productivity. In addition, a suite of webinars and seminars will be delivered that will focus on businesses development needs, including exporting and developing supply chains.
As part of the first delivery of National Transition Training Fund projects in 2021, The Stove Network Creative Place Employability & Start-Up Programme aka Soap Box, managed by SDS, was launched to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on creative practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway. The project consisted of a free digital programme of workshops, panel discussions, and online learning resources to support creative freelancers and small businesses with key skills for creative business development. The programme can be viewed at https://thestove.org/soap-box/
For the next round of National Transition Training Fund, SDS submitted a proposal to develop COVID-19 resilience and support the reset and recovery within Scotland’s creative industries sector, especially across the creative freelance through an industry-led skills development programme.
The programme is aimed at established freelances, sole traders and micros working in the performing arts, crafts, live events and festivals sub-sectors. There will be a strong focus on freelances resident in rural Scotland with 50% of the available places on the initiative reserved for eligible practitioners residing in rural Scotland.
• Freelance practitioners will undertake upskill training for trainers in blended/digital environments to reconnect their portfolio working, creative and commercial practices, and educational and skills practice. This will be delivered by the Future Economy Company in partnership with Social Investment Scotland as Creative Ambitions: Skills for Freelancers Programme.
• Crafts practitioners will undertake upskilling modules in Business Planning, Banking and Finance, Marketing and Intellectual Property and Sustainability & Environmental; Explore International Routes to Market & Innovate and Experiment in Craft Practice aimed to sustain and develop their micro-businesses and personal resilience. This will be delivered by Lews Castle College UHI and Applied Arts Scotland as the Sustaining Crafts Businesses Programme.
• Freelance practitioners will undertake a programme of creative digital training to establish a unique interface between participants and the commercial sector, customized to focus on the digital skills and experience required to service the current and future marketplace; to impact digital agility, positioning participants closer to market and aligning their skills, training or academic experience with the needs of the sector; accelerating participant market readiness and develop practical business and entrepreneurial skills. This will be delivered by Ironworks Venue in Inverness as the Level Up! Digital Skills Programme.
The online National Transition Training Fund Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme is being delivered by the Scottish Tourism Alliance and Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland to develop the management, leadership and supervisory skills of rising stars working within the tourism and hospitality sector. The programme will provide support to tourism businesses from across Scotland.
This programme is for a short-term, 12-week, paid placement scheme, offering a vital opportunity for individuals to transition into net zero careers. It will offer access to training and high-quality on-the-job experience across a range of employers engaged in natural flood management, riparian woodland creation and river restoration.
SDS works with partners to support employers in rural Scotland in a number of ways. Some of the work that has been (or is currently) underway includes:
• Recruitment support to business in the South of Scotland – recognising the challenges of recruiting in a tight labour market, South of Scotland Enterprise have worked with SDS and other partners to develop a package of support to help business to attract and retain labour. This scheme should be available by spring 2022.
• Shared apprenticeships in the South of Scotland – South of Scotland partners have recognised that many micro and small business would like to employ young people through apprenticeship schemes but are unable to commit to a full apprenticeship opportunity. As a result, South of Scotland Enterprise, SDS, Scottish Borders Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council and Borders College are partnering to explore shared apprenticeship opportunities.
• Skillseeder – Over 2020/21, SDS provided funding to support the CivTech challenge project being led by Lantra and Scottish Government and aiming to establish how technology can help to develop a skills sharing system that helps people to share and learn new skills in rural Scotland. This has been taken forward and now been developed into a digital application – Skillseeder – which is in use by both trainers and learners.
• Rural Employers Toolkit – SDS provided funding to partners, Lantra Scotland to develop the Rural Employers' Toolkit which is a practical guide for rural employers. The guide provides practical tips about employing an apprentice or offering a work placement opportunity. It also includes case studies of small rural employers who have recruited apprentices from across a number of different sectors. The toolkit is an online resource but there will also be printed copies distributed through partners in rural areas.
• Orkney Tourism Masterclass – In November 2021, SDS supported the online Orkney Tourism Summit with a Masterclass delivered by Connect 3 and focused on Maximising your Business Potential.
• Peer-to-peer learning project in the Cairngorms – In 2021, SDS provided funding support for a peer learning programme in the Cairngorms which was delivered by Growbiz. The project was designed to support micro businesses in the region through the delivery of 21 peer learning sessions on a range of relevant business topics including: digital marketing; financial management; online selling; and funding applications etc.
• Cookery pilot initiative in Lochaber and Skye – SDS has been working as a partner to support the Highland Council-led project which aims to provide placement opportunities in both public sector (council/NHS) kitchens and commercial kitchens to attract more people into professional cookery pathways in the region.