The North Highland Regeneration Fund, whose board director is local MP John Thurso, has helped retain and create 218 jobs sinces it was set up in 2006. The fund is supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and is designed to distribute loans to businesses in the Far North.
Week Commencing 26th November Energy: The Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Leadership Forum's Wave & Tidal Information Day took place in Thurso and Kirkwall this week. The event had displays and staff from Meygen, Scottish Power Renewables, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd, National Grid, Marine Scotland, The Crown Estate, HIE, Highland Council, Business Gateway, Skills Development Scotland, Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Scrabster Harbour Trust, Wick Harbour Authority, Energy North, North Highland College, the Environmental Research Institute and the European Marine Energy Centre.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 29th) sold 64 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (27) averaged 208.7p (-0.6p) and sold to 217p per kg and 1,569.50 gross.
Community and third sector organisations are being invited by The Highland Council to submit applications for the Councils 2013 Deprived Area Fund. Applications will be welcomed for projects that will help communities to develop activities aimed at improving quality of life and regenerating communities.
Glamorous party nights and buying gifts for friends are two of the things we look forward to most over the festive season. But just how far would you be prepared to fake it this Christmas? With the current economic climate we are all on the look out for bargains.
Better Together campaigner David Stewart MSP has used data obtained by Scottish Labour on the number of civil servants working for UK Government departments and agencies in Scotland which has revealed that 30,000 people are currently employed by the UK Government, bringing almost 700 million to Scotland in salaries alone. Up to 800 of those jobs are located in the Highlands and Islands and jobs could be put at risk if Scotland was to become independent.
Inverness careers fair to help local youngsters into work or training. Winter school leavers and young job seekers from the Highland area are being invited to take part in a Move on Up event which will give them an insight into the range of opportunities available to them in employment, training and learning.
New employer-assessed Certificate of Work Readiness currently being piloted. YOUNG people in the Highlands have been participating in a pilot project enabling them to demonstrate their work-readiness to employers.
The search is on to find the pupils who could be Scotland's marine renewables experts of the future and winners of Skills Development Scotland's 2013 Junior Saltire Awards. Schools are being asked to create a blueprint, design, build and test a wave powered generator which would be suitable for Scottish waters.
New contact point for 16 to 19 year olds. 0800 917 8000 is the new number for Scotland's young people to call if they are seeking a place in training or education.
New web service - Our Skillsforce (www.ourskillsforce.co.uk) - will provide skills support information for Scotland's employers. Scotland's employers have given their clear backing to the importance of training and skills in a survey published by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).
Jenna Forbes (21) from Westerdale beat off strong competition to win 1000 prize money for the Best Student Idea in the UHI Business Ideas competition recently held in Inverness. Jenna, an HNC Business student at The North Highland College UHI pitched her idea to the judging panel at Inverness College UHIs Longman Campus.
The Chairman of the norths Regeneration Partnership has welcomed the interest shown this week by local people in the developments planned for the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters. Sir Anthony Cleaver, independent Chairman of the Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, said Im delighted to hear that the first of the two Information Days held by the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Leadership Forum in Caithness and Orkney has proved to be a success, bringing local people in to hear about progress directly from Scottish Power Renewables and Meygen, as well as from a range of key supporting agencies such as National Grid, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd, HIE, Highland Council, Crown Estate and Marine Scotland.
Man reported following warrant executed at registered firearms dealer in Wick. On Thursday 29 November 2012, officers from Northern Constabulary executed a search warrant at a registered firearms dealer in Wick, Caithness.
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund recently awarded its 4th round of grants for 2012. Six community groups were awarded funding totalling over 114k for community projects that help to improve the attractiveness of their area as a place to live, work and invest.
Highland Councillors are united in their condemnation of the far-reaching nature of Welfare Reform changes proposed by the UK Government in a bid to find savings of 18 billion by 2014/15. Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Councils Welfare Reform Working Group, led the criticism of the proposals, which he predicts will seriously affect the wellbeing of the most vulnerable members of the community.
An expert team will help Scottish green energy projects secure funding from the Green Investment Bank as it is launched today. The team, to be led by Marcia Campbell, former Group Operations Director of Standard Life, will identify and support potential Scottish bidders to make the strongest possible case for funding from the 3 billion publically funded Green Investment Bank.
Tighter controls on taxi licensing to crack down on rogue firms and support responsible businesses are being consulted on. The Scottish Government today launched a consultation on the plans in response to concerns about the influence of criminality within the trade and the working of the current licensing regime.
Finance Secretary John Swinney has today outlined to Parliament the Scottish Governments continuing commitment to public service pensions that are affordable, sustainable and fair, as he responded to UK reform of public sector pensions. Mr Swinney confirmed Ministers objections to the UK Governments decision to use pension reform as a cover for deficit reduction and to place constraints on Scotlands ability to negotiate long term reform with public sector workers.
New legislation will support better job chances for college leavers and ensure more students from poor backgrounds go to university. The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill, published today, will drive forward regionalisation of colleges, the most fundamental change to the sector for two decades.