News Archive
26/8/2007
HIGHLAND ENTREPRENEURS FACE THE FRIENDLY 'DRAGON'S DEN'
Budding entrepreneurs in the Highlands and Islands now have the chance to turn their business dreams into reality thanks to a 'Dragon's Den'-style competition. The competition, which is run in partnership with Inverness College UHI, UHI Millennium Institute, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust, offers £2000 in cash prizes for winning entries, and all entrants will receive advice on how to take their business idea forward.
26/8/2007
Young drivers urged to take up Pass Plus Scheme
An extra 295 young drivers will get the chance to take advanced driving instruction through the Highland Wellbeing Alliance's Pass Plus Scheme this year, thanks to a £40,000 funding boost from The Highland Council's Community Safety Unit. This extra 295 places bring the total of Pass Plus Scheme opportunities to 644 young people throughout the Highlands and gives them the added offer of cheaper motor insurance; improved driving skills; and more confidence if they successfully complete the scheme.26/8/2007
Niche Market Awarenss Workshops Programme 2007
Tourist Board Training is organising a series of niche market workshops, which are also linked to VisitScotland Quality Assurance Welcome Schemes. Each course looks at the particular needs of a specialist market and identifies how tourism and individual businesses can benefit from meeting those needs.26/8/2007
Northern WoodHeat/North Sea Bioenergy Closing Conference
The Northern WoodHeat/North Sea Bioenergy Closing Conference will take place on 4-5th September at Strathpeffer Pavilion, Strathpeffer The Project: Northern WoodHeat is a project funded by the EU Northern Periphery Programme and includes partners from Scotland, Finland and Iceland. Northern WoodHeat aims were to set up small and medium scale woodfuel supply chains optimising benefits to local communities and the environment.23/8/2007
Berry Good Ambitions
Berry Good is a new Caithness business that is focusing on producing quality fruit flavoured vodka. Using strawberries and raspberries which are infused with a top quality vodka produces a bright coloured drink that's bursting with berriness! Straight Strawberry and Really Raspberry are two flavours which are in production but the business hopes to expand its range of spirits and flavours in the future.
23/8/2007
Council on Line to meet Energy Management Targets
Energy management measures are beginning to pay dividends for The Highland Council and further investments are proposed to meet targets set by the Council's Administration to reduce energy use and carbon emissions by 15% and increase renewable energy sources by a minimum of 4,000 kw by 2010. The Highland Council's Resources Committee was told this week that at the end of the first year of the Council's energy management performance plan, an overall decrease in energy consumption of 16% was achieved and almost £1 million of costs avoided.23/8/2007
Meeting Demand for Building Warrants
To help meet the increasing demand for building warrants and completion certificates, The Highland Council's Resources Committee has agreed to create three additional posts of building standards officer. The new staff will be based in the Council's offices at Dingwall, Fort William and Kingussie.22/8/2007
Looking forward - Sandy Cumming, Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise
This article is from the HIE network 2007 report To read the full report go to - HIE network 2007 This is a Pdf doc HIE has just come through a period of extensive internal change, reshaping its structures to deliver a new set of strategic priorities. Yet Sandy is aware that serious challenges still need to be addressed by HIE and its partners.
22/8/2007
Highlands and Islands Enterprise network 2007
The HIE network has decided to publish a simple narrative account of its activities in 2006-07 in advance of publishing its formal annual report and accounts. The report is perhaps a more readable account of what has happened over the preceding year.
22/8/2007
Regeneration for the north
A structure to deliver a regeneration strategy is being overseen by an executive board comprising the chief executives of HIE and Highland Council and the director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Region 4. Following a period of public consultation on the strategy for Caithness and north Sutherland, a detailed action plan is being developed with the input of partner organisations.
22/8/2007
Dounreay News - August 2007
The August 2007 site newspaper from Dounreay is available as Pdf - See: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/publications_dounreay_news.html .
22/8/2007
Career Choices Crucial For GCSE Students Says RECs Scotland director
Students receiving their Standard Grade results in Scotland today (Thursday 23 August 2007) have even more crucial choices to make than their Highers counterparts, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. With current skills shortages biting deeply into certain sectors of the UK's labour market, the REC, the trade association for the UK's private recruitment industry, says it is vital that GCSE students take time out to identify potential educational or vocational routes which can lead them to jobs in these specific areas.
22/8/2007
Going Green In The Office
officebroker.com launches campaign for sustainable workplaces Recycling is now a way of life for many of us - in the home at least. It seems that the green message is finally filtering through as the Government encourages us to become more aware of, and take greater personal responsibility for, behaviours and actions which can have a negative impact on the environment.22/8/2007
Fat Chance - A Workplace Activity Programme
The Fitness Industry Association (FIA)* has received funding from the Scottish Executive to pilot the Active at Work programme across 12 sites of official socio-economic deprivation in Scotland. The FIA is currently recruiting businesses to participate.21/8/2007
North Highlands Produce Showcased at Ackergill
A bountiful selection of the best of the North Highlands food and drink produce, brought together by HIE Caithness and Sutherland, was visited by HRH Prince Charles recently. Producers from throughout Caithness and Sutherland gathered together at Ackergill Tower near Wick to welcome national and local buyers.
21/8/2007
Jim Mather, Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Minister Met Local Business People
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather was in Caithness on 14 August 2007 to talk to local businesses and organisations about potential economic opportunities. He visited marine electronics manufacturer Kongsberg Maritime Ltd and SubSea 7 who manufacture pipeline bundles and are seeking to diversify into the renewables sector.
20/8/2007
There's still time to enter the Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards
Tourism operators in the Highlands and Islands still have time to submit their entry for an award which could help to raise their profile and make an impact on their future development. They are being urged to take part in the area's most prestigious hospitality and tourism awards event, the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA) 2007, which will take place in the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness on Friday, 16 November.19/8/2007
Without Basic Home Security You Are 10 Times More Likely To Be Burgled
Latest British Crime Survey highlights importance of home security in run-up to National Home Security Week 25th August 2007 This bank holiday weekend do something to deter burglars - don't put it off 'Fit basic visible security deterrents' is the clear message from both the latest British Crime Survey and the National Home Security Week campaign. With 726,000 domestic burglaries in the UK per year (2006-7), more than one home a minute in the UK is affected by this traumatic event.
19/8/2007
Calling All Entrepreneurs - Win a Two Day Trip To An Event In Glasgow
Is your business a winner? Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is offering a two-day trip worth £1,000 to a high-profile event in Glasgow for Scotland's leading entrepreneurs. If your business is based within the HIE geographical area, you've got at least one ready-for-market product or service and are actively seeking ways to expand your sales base beyond local boundaries, you are eligible to win a maximum of two delegate places at this prestigious event taking place on Friday 5th - Saturday 6th October 2007.16/8/2007
