Skilled workforce key to economy
WORKFORCE training in Argyll has been given a major boost.
Lochgilphead Joint Campus welcomed councillors, local employers and the minister for employability and training, Jamie Hepburn, to a jobs fair for P7 and secondary school pupils on Wednesday.
Mr Hepburn was shown around the event by Lochgilphead High School head boy Aaron Whitefield and head girl Courtney Stewart, before officially launching the Developing Young Workforce (DYW) Argyll regional group.
Mr Hepburn also announced £422,213 is to be awarded to the Argyll group to support its work with employers, colleges and schools.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Hepburn said: ‘I am delighted to launch the DYW Argyll regional group which will help to drive forward the creation of a world-class vocational education system to reduce youth unemployment. I would encourage businesses to take time to find out more about DYW Argyll so they can understand the crucial role they can play bridging the gap between education and industry.’
Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for education and lifelong learning, Councillor Rory Colville, welcomed the news, saying: ‘Argyll and Bute’s young people are our future workforce. Investing in them is key to their own success and to Argyll and Bute’s economic prosperity.
‘We need to ensure our young people are equipped to secure and sustain positive destinations and achieve success in life. We want to make them, their parents and employers aware of the opportunities there are locally to encourage them to remain in Argyll and Bute when they leave school.’
Led by the private sector, DYW Argyll is supported by the council, local chambers of commerce, Argyll College UHI, Business Gateway and HIE.
Chairman of DYW Argyll, Jane MacLeod of MacLeod Construction, said: ‘I am delighted the private sector in Argyll and Bute submitted a successful bid to the Scottish Government to fund Developing Young Workforce Argyll.
‘DYW Argyll aims to develop further the strong entrepreneurial tradition of this area to form sustainable partnerships between the private sector and all areas of education. We need to stem the population drain, encourage young families to take up residence in the area, encourage school leavers to remain in the area, and encourage students to move to the area to study and then remain here to work.’