Learning and skills

Companies in eleven rural areas are to receive more support to help them take on Modern Apprentices

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed eligible areas for the Rural Supplement on the first day of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, March 6. 

She said:

“Rural communities are vital to Scotland’s economy so it is important they get the support to recruit and retain employees, including Modern Apprentices.

A forestry apprentice from Dumfries took home the top prize at Lantra Scotland's fifteenth Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards.

GrowBiz provides a community-based enterprise support service in rural Perthshire.

Until recently, it worked mainly in the Eastern and Highland areas. Now, in partnership with Business Gateway, Perthshire Chamber and PKAVS, and with funding support from Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER, the service is available across Perthshire.

The 2017-18 Rural Leadership programme is now open for applications.

The programme is aimed at business managers and employees from rural businesses who want to develop their leadership skills and grow their business. It is delivered on behalf of Scottish Enterprise by SAC Consulting.

To date, over 450 people have completed the programme, including farmers, vets, estate managers, tourism managers, and managers from processing and supply businesses.

Schoolchildren in Perth and Kinross are taking part in a project encouraging classes to grow and harvest their own potatoes from scratch.

The Mr Jazzy Potato Project, organised by the Perth & Kinross Initiative of the Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET) and sponsored by WCF Horticulture, aims to show the children the gradually unfolding story of the potato and how food and farming are linked.

A unique five-year projects is helping to increase volunteering in Scotland's National Parks.

The Mountains and the People Project launched in the summer of 2015, with the vision of involving the people of Scotland and beyond in the enhancement and protection of the wild and special qualities of the mountains within the country's two National Parks.

The Lanarkshire LEADER programme has made its first funding award.

The programme opened in late 2016 and now the LEADER Local Action Group have made a grant offer of £18,220 to Lanark-based award-winning social enterprise CCI Scotland.

With the funding, CCI will carry out feasibility and business planning on a number of potential social enterprise ventures.