Scotland's Economy

Year three for Flexible Workforce Development Fund

July 17, 2019 by Jamie Hepburn MSP No Comments | Category Uncategorized

As a Government we are working hard to ensure our economy, employers and employees are fit and ready to respond to the changing needs of business and emerging economic demands. We are committed to creating a more successful country and opportunities for people living in Scotland whilst creating sustainable and inclusive growth.

 I am delighted to launch year three of our innovative and unique Flexible Workforce Development Fund – investing a further £10 million. The fund is an important initiative to enable Scottish employers, who are subject to the UK Apprenticeship Levy, to access funding to upskill and re-skill their existing workforce.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund provides employers with an opportunity to access £15,000 worth of funding to create bespoke and tailored training opportunities to help address skills gaps within their organisation – delivered by Scotland’s college sector. This approach offers value for money for both the employers and for the people of Scotland.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund shows our continuing commitment to support businesses across the country who are subject to the unwelcome UK Apprenticeship Levy. We will be working hard in the coming months to listen to stakeholders, including employers and industry, to assess the impact of the fund and any possible developments and enhancements that can be made to best serve the employees, employers and the economy as a whole.

I am proud this Scottish Government initiative is making a meaningful contribution to Scotland’s employers and employees in upskilling them ahead of the country’s impending uncertainty. I look forward to working with key stakeholders to enhance and develop our offering of skills provision within Scotland over the coming months. I want us all to continue ensuring that Scotland is leading the way in relation to upskilling and re-skilling the existing workforce. We must have a robust and agile economy, fit to respond to the challenges that lie ahead.

Tags: apprentices, flexibleworkforce, scotlandseconomy, scottishapprentices, scottisheconomy, workforce

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