Tackling Poverty and Unemployment In The Highlands
1st February 2011
The Highland Council has agreed a fresh approach to tackling poverty and unemployment in the Highlands. Organisations are being invited to develop innovative approaches to assisting people with barriers to employment into training, work experience and jobs.
A twin track approach will target geographic areas in Highland with particularly high levels of unemployment as well as supporting work with young people, people with mental health issues and people with learning disabilities.
A recent report to the Council Planning, Environment and Development Committee acknowledged that the challenges facing areas of deprivation and people who are unemployed over a long period of time require sustained approaches to assist them back to work.
It is intended that funds will be available to assist particular disadvantaged communities to develop and implement activities that improve the quality of life and regenerate their communities. Priority will be given to projects that directly deliver employability outcomes for individuals who live within the targeted area who are furthest removed from the labour market. The closing date for applying to the Deprived Area Fund is Friday 18 February 2011.
The communities able to tap into the funds of £416,000 are Inverness Merkinch North; Inverness South Kessock; Inverness Merkinch East; Inverness Merkinch South; Inverness Central and Longman and Inverness Hilton West; Wick South ; Wick South Head; Wick Pulteneytown South' and Wick Hillhead North; Alness Teaninich; Alness Kirkside'; Alness Firhill; Invergordon (Part of Strath Avenue); Seaboard; and Fort William Plantation.
A second fund, the Strategic Employment Projects Fund, is intended to assist people with barriers to engage in positive learning and supported work activity that improves their longer term work prospects. Priority will be given to proposals that focus on young people (under 25 years); people with a learning disability or recovering from mental health issues. The deadline for applications is Friday 18 March 2011.
Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of the Committee, said: "Despite the pressure on Council resources we are determined to do as much as we can to build on the work that the Council and its partners are doing to alleviate poverty and unemployment." While the Council's budget for 2011-12 Financial Year is yet to be finalised the Committee has approved new criteria and a process for applying for the funds to ensure that there is continuity and an early start next financial year, subject to budget availability.
Stuart Black, Director of Planning and Development, said: "Over the past year we have reviewed and revised how we tackle poverty and community regeneration and now look forward to supporting refreshed and expanded activity in the coming year to ensure that people are better able to benefit from the opportunities that are available."
Details of the funds and application processes are available at -
www.highland.gov.uk/employmentservicesgrants
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Yesterday, Thursday 16 May, representatives from the tourism sector in the Highlands gathered in Inverness to take part in a Sustainable Tourism Strategy Workshop hosted by The Highland Council. The meeting, which was well attended with representatives from across Highland and different interests, follows the launch of the Council's public consultation on its Draft Sustainable Tourism Strategy.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed the opening of a £1.5 million fund to support councils in removing the impact of school meal debt from families across the country. Mr Swinney said this commitment will help ensure no child is penalised for struggling to pay for school meals as a result of the cost of living crisis.
Todays Audit Scotland report Local government budgets 2024/25 reveals how dire council budgets are. This makes many more cuts in services likely in coming years.
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.