Learning and skills

Rural and island communities will have a chance to have their voices heard in local and national decision-making as a result of Scottish Government funding.

Around £80,000 will help to deliver the next Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament – a grassroots democratic assembly ­– which will take place in the autumn.

University of Glasgow’s SFC Upskilling Project facilitates three runs of skills-focussed, demand-led CPD courses annually, with the aim of supporting employees and employers across Scotland to upskill and reskill in response to present-day economic challenges. In particular, the project aims to address skills gaps, unemployment issues and other health and economic adversities following the COVID-19 pandemic and EU exit.

The Scottish Government’s £65 million Nature Restoration Fund has already awarded around £17.5 million to 125 projects across the country since it opened in July 2021. Managed by NatureScot, the fund supports projects to take practical steps to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and to restore Scotland’s natural environment.

The Scottish Government has published the main findings of research investigating debates around the term ‘rewilding’, its relevance in a Scottish context, and a working definition of the term suitable for use by the public sector in Scotland.