Advisory / Counseling Services News
3/9/2011
Highlands and Islands Producers give London a Taste of Scotland
Seven food and drink producers from across the Highlands and Islands are preparing to take their places at one of the biggest exhibitions of the year this weekend Scotland Food and Drink are running the Scottish Pavilion at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair at London's Olympia Exhibition Centre from 4-6 September. The North's businesses will be amongst those displaying their products within the themed 'Scotland Land of Food and Drink' area, showcasing some of the country's wonderful natural larder products and fantastic producers.3/9/2011
Dingwall business creating up to 50 emergency response jobs
Dingwall is to become home to an emergency response team which will provide round the clock help to people over 500 miles away. Internationally renowned outsourcing firm Vertex, which has bases in both Dingwall and Forres, is expanding its Ross-shire based contract with Westminster City Council to provide 24 hour services for social services and its environmental action line.2/9/2011
Keiss Primary Get Prizes From New Community Benefit Fund
A new company has been established to distribute £4m funding from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for community projects in the Dounreay travel to work area. The Community Benefit Fund has been provided in association with the construction of a low level waste facility soon to be built at Dounreay.
30/8/2011
Caithness and NS Regeneration Partnership Latest Update
Week commencing 22nd August: Energy: Graeme Rankin of the NDA Competition team and Anna MacConnell, the NDA's Stakeholder Relations and Socio-Economic Manager, updated several local stakeholders on current position with the Dounreay PBO competition. It was good to have the timetable for the remainder of the competition process laid out clearly, with the preferred bidder announcement due in late November and share transfer from current to new PBO scheduled for the beginning of April 2012.20/8/2011
HAVE YOU DONE YOUR HOMEWORK?
The freedom of working from home is fast becoming the next big thing for people involved in business services. Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) is keen to make sure that people in the Caithness and Sutherland area are ready to grasp the opportunities becoming available.15/8/2011
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership
From Eann Sinclair Programme Manager Week commencing 8th August: Energy: I met this week with Ian Couper, Chief Executive of Energy North (formerly North of Scotland Industries Group). We are making arrangements for a joint meeting of Highland Council and Orkney Islands Council representatives in the next few weeks, to discuss collaborative opportunities in marine energy.31/7/2011
HIE and UHI inspire the region's future workforce
Young people across the Highlands and Islands are to be encouraged and inspired to take qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), thanks to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). HIE has been successful in its bid to secure a new 45 month contract with STEMNET, a national organisation that creates opportunities to inspire young people in STEM.19/7/2011
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership
From Eann Sinclair Programme Manager Week commencing 11th July: Energy: Together with representatives from Highland Council, Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Thurso & Wick Trades Council and Dounreay Stakeholder Group I met this week with consultants engaged by one of the companies involved in the Dounreay PBO Competition. They have been asked to help identify ways in which a new PBO at Dounreay can best add value to the economic and socio-economic future of the area.11/7/2011
ARE YOU AGED 60+ AND IN NEED OF HOUSING?
Cairn Housing Association has a number of 1 bedroom flats and studio apartments available for Immediate Let in its sheltered housing complex Caberfeidh Court, Wick The flats have a living room, bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area. The studio apartments have a combined living room/bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area.11/7/2011
Proposal To Move Breeder Fuel From Dounreay To Sellafield
The NDA has published Preferred and Credible Options associated with the management of DFR breeder material, currently stored at Dounreay. The paper describes and discusses the relevant factors associated with each high level option, and draws conclusions based on the analysis.
10/7/2011
Highlands and Islands Businesses Urged To Apply For £23 Million Fund
Highlands and Islands businesses are being encouraged to apply to a £23 million fund supported by the Technology Strategy Board and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The DALLAS (Delivering Assisted Living Lifestyles at Scale) Fund aims to establish up to five communities across the UK to explore how technologies and services can be used to promote health and wellbeing, enabling people to live independently regardless of their location.6/7/2011
Attracting Inward Investment for Caithness and North Sutherland
A novel approach in combining the skills of the private and public sectors is being tried in Caithness and North Sutherland. A senior project manager with internationally renowned engineering services company Babcock International is working on secondment with the North's social and economic development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
1/7/2011
Graduates Sought For Placement Programme
Graduates are being offered exciting opportunities to expand their business experience through paid placements with local firms across the Highlands and Islands. Organisations from a range of sectors including food and drink, renewable energy, and software development are amongst those offering posts which will offer valuable experience to graduates and support their own business development.26/6/2011
Aberdeen Engineering Company Set To Expand Caithness Operation 
AMC Engineering Ltd, whose head office is at Findon just outside Aberdeen, is set to expand their Caithness division by building a new workshop at their site outside Lybster, with the assistance of a grant of £76,250 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Managing Director Andrew Polson, who hails from Caithness and whose parents still live on the family croft at Smerlie next door to the company's workshops, explained that the skill and application of the local work-force was a key factor in deciding to site the new workshop in the north.
24/6/2011
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership
Week commencing 20th June: Energy: DSRL and Caithness Chamber of Commerce hosted a visit to the area this week from Dan Mistry UKAEA Culham Division, who met with a range of local companies and organisations to inform them of potential supply chain opportunities in the international fusion research programmes. In our wash-up meeting with Dan after his two days in Caithness it was encouraging to hear his views on the area's engineering capabilities, and to have it confirmed that contracts in the fusion sector are within the engineering capabilities of area businesses.23/6/2011
Industry can lead way to deliver distinct Caithness & Sutherland tourism identity
A report issued this week outlines how Caithness and North Sutherland businesses could benefit from working more closely together to create an area wide tourism identity. Following widespread consultation involving tourism providers and visitors, analysis by the Tourism Resource Company (TRC) which was commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to support regional growth, outlines growing markets and points out that many operators displaying individual strengths could come together to support the region.Manufacturing efficiency brings results for Highlands and Islands Businesses
Thirty manufacturing projects delivered in the Highlands and Islands last year have helped generate £1.9 million in productivity. The figures are being released by the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) which works across the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise areas.16/6/2011
NDA - On Fuel Removal From Dounreay
NDA to seek views on removal of fuel from Dounreay. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is to publish a report about the proposed removal of its nuclear fuel from Dounreay and wants to hear the views of the public.
13/6/2011
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Latest Update
Week commencing 6th June: Energy: Meygen, the company behind the proposed 400MW tidal energy site between Stroma and the Caithness coast, has begun its consenting phase of work. I met with Meygen's Environment & Consents Manager, who has been helped this week by colleagues at DSRL to circulate information on the company's forthcoming public open days to gather comments on environmental impacts that might arise from the development.9/6/2011
