At today's (Wednesday 27 August 2025) Education Committee, Members received a progress update on Education Workforce Planning. The in-depth and multifaceted report covered key areas, including the significant increase in permanent job roles in Pupil Support, Early Learning & Childcare.
On Wednesday 27 August 2025 the Education Committee of Highland Council received an overview of the role of the Employability Service in progressing the No One Left Behind (NOLB) policy approach and the Highland Employability Partnerships (HEP) aims to lift people out of poverty across the Highlands through enabling access to fair and sustainable work. Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: "The Council has a strategic employability commitment to tackle poverty, improve community wellbeing and strengthening the economy across the Highlands.
The Highland Council's Education Committee met on (Wednesday 27 August 2025) to update Members on its progress implementing the new structure of the Raising Attainment and Achievement Strategy (RAAS) 2025-2028 and its plans to ensure continuous improvement in Education and Learning. The RAAS will be fully realised over the next three years and annually reviewed.
The deadline for completed nomination forms from people seeking election to thirteen Highland community councils covering areas in Ardgay and District, Arisaig, Aviemore, Avoch and Killen, Conon Bridge, Cromdale and Advie, Lochalsh, Nether Lochaber, Raasay, South Knoydart, Stratherrick and Foyers, Thurso and Uig is now officially less than a week away. Completed forms must be submitted no later than 12 noon on Tuesday, 2 September 2025 Community Councils are voluntary organisations that express the views and concerns of local people within their area across a wide range of issues from new buildings and roads to local services and facilities.
This is of interest when voting rights in USA appear to be under threat in the Trump administration. Attacking voter rights is a blatant attempt to hold on to power in the future.
Despite recent challenges with the official Labour Force Survey (LFS), the recent rise in the unemployment rate (0.6 percentage points since January 2024, or equivalent to 258,000 people) appears to be accurate, and there may be further labour market loosening to come, according to new analysis from the Resolution Foundation. The Labour Market Outlook Q3 2025 from the Foundation assesses various measures of slack in the labour market to determine whether the official unemployment rate of 4.7 per cent is being impacted by the same data issues which have eroded the reliability of the official employment rate.
28 EV models are now eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme. £3,750 discount on 2 Ford models becomes available as part of the Electric Car Grant scheme, slashing prices for consumers and boosting growth in the sector with eligible models seeing up to an 80%.
TUC launches new "worker first" plan for AI that calls on government to put workers and unions at the heart of AI transformation. Strategy launched as new polling reveals half of public are concerned about impact of AI on their job.
Flooding is getting worse because of changes to our climate. It's likely flooding will happen more often.
This year, Generation X consumers will outspend Baby Boomers for the first time globally, and will remain the biggest spenders until at least 2033. How does Gen X like to shop, what kind of products do they value most and how will retail - and indeed society – change in the UK? The home delivery expert Parcelhero has been studying the next generation.
The Highland Council is proud to be supporting Catch the Bus Month 2025 run by Bus Users UK. Buses boost the economy, reduce congestion and pollution, and improve our health and wellbeing.
Thistle Wind Partners (TWP) has submitted a formal onshore planning application to Highland Council. It followed detailed optioneering, environmental assessments, and community consultations.
Workers directly impacted by the cessation of refining at Grangemouth are to receive additional targeted support to help them transition into new jobs. INEOS O&P employees who were part of shared services for Grangemouth oil refinery and are directly affected by its closure will be able to receive support from Forth Valley College to develop skills for emerging sectors.
News stories in recent months have claimed that more than 16,500 millionaires are expected to leave the UK in 2025 due to the country's increasing tax burden. Notably, the abolition of "non-dom" tax rules has been touted as one of the reasons for this "millionaire flight".
Residents in the Highlands are being reminded to contact their energy suppliers to replace Radio Teleswitch Service electricity meters during the phase-out process which began on Monday 30 June 2025. Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) electricity meters were first introduced in the 1980s and use radio signals to tell some older electricity meters when to switch between peak and off-peak rates.
Scottish EDGE is Scotland's biggest business funding competition. It offers grants and loans of £10,000 up to £100,000 to help early-stage companies, social enterprises and charities to grow.
About 100 new data centres, the large anonymous-looking buildings containing the complex computer systems which power the online world, are to be built in the UK. Vital for all of your digital needs - from Netflix and banking, to AI and social media - they are the heart of the modern digital economy.
Veterans will now have access to an independent clinical review on long-term military-related injuries or conditions through a new service. The Veterans in Service Injury Network (VISIN), supported by £50,000 annual Scottish Government funding, will be hosted by NHS Highland and available across Scotland.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today released Recorded Crime in Scotland, year ending June 2025. The police in Scotland recorded 303,343 crimes.
Statistics have been published today on Education Outcomes for Looked After Children. The publication provides data from the 2023/24 school year on school attendance, achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels, school leavers stages and attainment, and school leavers post school destinations.