Highland Councillors Approves Employability Services Programme That Aims To Tackle Poverty And Barriers To Work
4th May 2023
Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee were today (Thursday 4 May) given an overview of the employability services delivered by the Council and its partners, and approved priorities for the coming year.
Members heard that during 2022-23 The Council’s Employability team, together with public, private and third-sector partners delivered a suite of activity across Highland, supporting 680 people of whom 257 gained employment as a result.
Chair of the Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Whilst unemployment across Highland remains low, getting a job and underemployment are deep rooted issues for certain people.
“I want to thank our Employability team and partners who are working hard to deliver an ambitious programme which provides support where it is needed most. This collaborative approach is the best way forward as it allows for us to be responsive and to design and deliver very local tailored services in communities across the Highlands. It is not a case of “one-size fits all". The team are taking a far more place-based approach that considers local needs and local job opportunities.”
During 2022-23 the Employability team, together with contracted third and private sector providers and Challenge Fund grant recipients, delivered a suit of activity across Highland which included:
Core key worker services
Bespoke employability activities
Online group work
Specialist intensive support and industry specific training
New pilot approaches to engagement to open up referral routes for hard-to-reach priority client groups
Paid work experience placements; and
Job creation grants (HERO)
After discussing the overview of developments within employability services including looking at projects undertaken over the last 12 months and considering future work streams, Members approved:
A programme of activity for 2023-24 for Highland Council and partners on the Highland Employability Partnership to deliver an all-age employability service aimed at raising as many Highland residents as possible out of poverty.
Within this and in line with Scottish Government priorities, a focus on tackling child poverty by supporting families to increase household incomes through overcoming barriers to employment or to help raise incomes for those already in work.
The establishment of a new Challenge Fund designed to meet local skills gaps, including those within the green economy as part of Highland Council’s allocation from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.