Scotland's early learning and childcare (ELC) expansion plans will be built on a foundation of fairness and equality, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed this week. Currently, around 80% of practitioners and half of supervisors in the private and third sector providers that deliver the Scottish Government's 600 hours of free ELC are not paid the Living Wage.
£36 million available to Scottish business. A new digital growth fund will be announced by the First Minister this week.
Food and drink exports from Scotland grew by £421 million in 2016, to a record £5.5 billion. The latest figures show an 8% increase in the value of exports to Scotland's successful food and drink sector over the past year.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 21st) sold 28 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (14) averaged 209.8p (-0.2p) and sold to 224.0p per kg and £1,403.35 gross.
During the past two week SAC Consulting Veterinary Services (part of Scotland's Rural College) has confirmed two diagnoses of Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) infection in malformed lambs in two Scottish flocks close to the border with England. This follows the increasing numbers of affected lambs identified in England and Wales throughout the winter of 2016/2017.
If you would like to complete the course and exam required to apply for a Personal Licence Holder through the Scottish Licensing Board or require to complete the refresher training, then Aspire HLTC Ltd are holding a course at Helcat Training, Omlie Industrial Estate on 4th April 2017. £125 per person Personal licence holder course.
The new UK £1 coin will enter circulation in March 2017, and The Royal Mint is producing 1.5 billion of the new coins. The final specification of the coin and method of introduction were decided after a ten-week public consultation which looked at the physical and material characteristics of the coin, as well as the parameters for the transition.
People throughout the Scottish Highlands who have experience working in the licensed trade but have fallen on hard times are being encouraged to apply for one-off grants as part of an industry charity's ‘Glass Half Full' campaign. Over the years the Scottish Licensed Trade Benevolent Society, known as The BEN, has helped a host of beneficiaries from throughout the Highlands for everything from essential payments including council tax to household refurbishment including a stair lift.
Trade Stands & Charity Stands Stand information is available NOW! Stand holders at the 2016 show will have been sent application forms by post or email (Please check your Junk Folder in case the email has gone directly into it. For anyone wishing to have a Trade Stand at this years show please feel free to download the relevant document.
BMT Nigel Gee (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group, has announced a new project to design an 85m steel-hulled catamaran RoPax ferry for Strategic Marine, a subsidiary of Triyards Holding Limited. The ferry is for Scottish ferry operator Pentland Ferries and BMT will be responsible for concept through to production design, working closely with Strategic Marine.
Wave Energy Scotland has selected 3 technologies to go forward to stage 3 of its Power Take Off (PTO) development programme. The projects will involve demonstration and testing of scale prototypes in a representative environment and cover a range of technology options: digital hydraulics, electrical linear generation and a ball-screw generation.
These awards will support entrepreneurs and small companies in the space industry. The Agency is working with UK industry to deliver world-class science innovation support, in line with the Government's Industrial Strategy, which emphasises the importance of science, innovation and skills.
Pioneering technology to power almost 60,000 homes. A floating demonstration wind farm has today been granted planning consent by Scottish Government Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse.
Up to 5,000 will start work-based training programme by 2019. Thousands of young people will gain industry recognised qualifications, real-world work experience and access to work-based learning while still at school thanks to a massive expansion of the Foundation Apprenticeship programme.
Six new commissioners elected. Crofters have elected six new Commissioners to serve on the Crofting Commission Board where they will support the crofting system for current and future generations.
18,000 people to be invited to give views on social security system. From today, people across Scotland will begin to receive letters inviting them to join the Experience Panels which will shape the country's new social security system.
Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited (BOWL) has begun renovating its new home in Wick with the help of a neighbour. Two buildings in Lower Pulteneytown are being redeveloped into the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base for the £2.6bn Beatrice offshore wind farm project.
Notice of Annual General Meeting: On Tuesday 21.03.2017 @ 19.30. Gills Harbour Ltd: A Community- owned trading Company limited by guarantee.
Week Commencing 13th March 2017 Energy & business services: Delighted to see this week's news that Caithness firm GMR Henderson has been awarded work on the construction programme for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project's Operations & Maintenance base in Wick. The company, whose base is only about 100 metres away from the O&M site on the Wick harbourfront, will support the initial demolition and preparatory works.
New experimental statistics have been published today showing the proportion of people living in persistent poverty in Scotland between 2010 and 2015. We know that spending brief periods with a low income can be less damaging than living in poverty over a number of years.