Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Draft South of Scotland Regional Skills Investment Plan

Presentation.

Minutes:

4.1    Phil Ford, Skills Planning Lead from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), gave a presentation on Draft South of Scotland Regional Skills Investment Plan (RSIP), starting with a summary of SDS delivery in the South of Scotland. The RSIP development process had been facilitated by SDS and supported and shaped by the South of Scotland Enterprise Partnership’s Education and Skills Group.  Key messages from the South of Scotland Skills evidence based included: the South of Scotland being different from other parts of Scotland and within the region with rurality and place crucially important; high levels of economic activity with low unemployment (including young people); highest concentration of jobs in 5 sectors – health, education, construction, tourism and manufacturing – but many were low skilled/low wage jobs; lowest percentage of skills gaps in Scotland, but the highest rates of under-utilisation of skills; relatively stable but aging population with declining numbers of young people meaning a high dependency ratio which was set to increase sharply going forward; and the vast majority of learners being in Further Education, with a more modest contribution from Higher Education and Work-Based Learning, but too many young people were leaving the region for education and work.  Information was then given on the key messages from sub-regional analysis and primary research.  A Strategic Framework had been produced with areas of action, broken down into 6 themes:

·         Theme 1 – Improving access to skills and training

·         Theme 2 – Better meeting the skills needs of all employers

·         Theme 3 – Growing and developing the workforce

·         Theme 4 – A Region for young people

·         Theme 5 – Creating a culture of Enterprise and Innovation

·         Theme 6 – Future Proofing the system

 

4.2    A workshop had been held with Community Planning representatives on 5 March 2019, with feedback including the need to prioritise and schedule activities over the 3-year period through the Implementation Plan.  Further work was required with parents to educate them on the career and progression opportunities that were available.  There was an opportunity to explore further lifelong learning opportunities within communities.  The importance of the Third Sector was recognised in supporting the employability/equalities agenda and as partners in the delivery of the RSIP.  Development of a demand responsive transport system would help address workforce mobility barriers.  Support for businesses to take risks and ‘scale up’ linked to resilience. The RSIP would link to regional STEM Hubs (via colleges) and Regional Improvement Collaboratives.  Identifying best practice e.g. around innovation, and seeking to embed this in the South of Scotland would be of benefit. 

 

4.3    The next steps for the RSIP would be to refine the final version and action plan through engagement with key partners; agree the governance and ownership of the RSIP; and finalise the RSIP by the end of March 2019 for subsequent publication in April 2019; and develop an Implementation Plan with detailed KPIs and financial ‘asks’ of SOSEP by mid-June 2019.  Mr Ford further advised that education centres would be used as a different way to deliver education in the Scottish Borders.  In terms of the City Region Deal, Scottish Borders was linked in to that while Dumfries & Galloway was not, but work was underway to ensure duplication was avoided where possible and that any work complemented both City Region Deal and the RSIP.  Ms Cox confirmed that Borders College was involved in the City Region Deal with skills delivery aligned to both programmes, not separate.  Mr Dickson confirmed that the new Enterprise Agency for South of Scotland would be in a better position to fill the gap between the public sector and business, and it was vital that partners and businesses thought about how best the Agency could help.

 

DECISION

AGREED to note the presentation which would be issued to members of the Strategic Board.

 

 

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