The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
A local launch for Productivity Club
A Scottish Governmentbacked scheme to improve the performance of small firms is being extended to the north-east and Highlands and islands to help businesses recover from the Covid-19 crisis, it was announced this morning.
The Productivity Club Scotland initiative is being expanded after the success of pilot projects in the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas, in which more than 1,000 firms are taking part.
Run by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry ( SCDI), it offers those that sign up support and networking opportunities to improve productivity.
New clubs will be launched with events in the north and north- east in December and another is being set up in the south of Scotland at the same time.
SCDI programme manager Ashleigh McCulloch said: “We are excited to be able to announce the expansion of this fantastic programme, ensuring more of Scotland’s businesses can access a Productivity Club in their region that reflects the realities of local and regional economies and supports the development of an economy which works for all.
“Disappointing productivity has been a worrying feature of both the Scottish and wider UK economy for the past decade and this has only been exacerbated by the lockdown activity as a result of the Covid- 19 pandemic.
“What we know from speaking to our members is that collaboration and sharing of information during this time has been invaluable to support businesses and navigate through the current landscape.”
She added: “We would urge as many businesses as possible to sign up for free at productivity. scot and harness the knowledge and experience of other members in this unique peer-to-peer community.”
The SCDI said the clubs follow a “peer- learning approach between enterprises and provide cross-sector advice, learning and knowledge” on how to improve productivity and resilience.
The organisation added that almost 80% of firms taking part in the central belt pilot projects had found them useful in building business connections and more than 70% expected to see improvements in their productivity as a result.
Areas focused on by the clubs include business strategy and planning , workforce and employee engagement, leadership and management and adopting new technology.
The Scottish Government minister for trade, investment and innovation, Ivan McKee, said: “We are extremely pleased with the remarkable success our Productivity Club pilots have enjoyed in their first year, with well over 1,000 members connecting together to start improving business performance across Scotland.
“It is with some excitement that, in collaboration with SCDI, we are now establishing new pilots in north- east Scotland, the Highlands and islands and the south of Scotland. I wish the clubs and all their member businesses every success in helping drive productivity growth across Scotland.”
The new north and north-east clubs will hold three types of events. There will be “productivity talks,” offering members opportunities to discuss challenges and potential solutions and “behind the scenes” sessions, focusing on workplaces and practices. There will also be a “productivity matters” annual conference.