Highland Employer Coalition were asked by the Scottish Government to present at a Workshop on Employment and Employability Support in Rural Areas
The workshop was hosted by Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) and Employer Related Services Association (ERSA). 55 Whitehall, London, 17th November 2010.
We were delighted to be extended an invitation by Scottish Government to join them in attending the above workshop and to be asked to provide an overview of Employer Engagement in a rural area.
Details are now becoming more available about the forthcoming Department for Work and Pensions 'Work Programme' which is the Westminster Government's flagship welfare to work scheme. CRC and ERSA hosted this workshop to investigate what other considerations may be required to serve rural communities and invited many rural areas from throughout the UK, to which participants attended from Devon, South Wales, Northumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, the Borders and Highland.
One of the key objectives of the Work Programme is for unemployed people to gain and sustain employment for a period of 2 years. In respect to employer engagement, we took the opportunity to flag some of the employer comment of which we are already aware, particularly around employers only being able to offer seasonal working and/or flexible hours contracts, which might appear to be at odds with the government's objective.
We will update the website with clarification when it is made available from DWP.
For additional information visit
the Employability in Scotland website at: www.employabilityinscotland.comor register for the Employability Learning Network at :www.communities.idea.gov.uk/c/1857894/home.do
Home Working
Following a request made at the Highlands & Islands Enterprise Contact Centre Forum, an opportunity arose to investigate the establishment of a robust homeworking experiment.
It was essential to determine how the development of homeworking could increase the business offer of local contact centre operators, whilst overcoming barriers in recruitment due to rurality, such as greater travel to work distances than the UK average, and limited public transport and road infrastructure.
Vertex, one of the region's largest employers, was keen to support the investigation and play an active part. Their United States operation enjoys a great deal of success with homeworking and was keen to actively develop more acceptance of the principle in the UK.
The report was commissioned by the Highland Employer Coalition to chart how Vertex, HIE and HEC worked in partnership with key agencies to devise a project that resulted in 12 Highland based residents successfully gaining employment via homeworking.
The participants had experienced various barriers in gaining sustainable, quality employment and the homeworking pilot offered them flexible, accessible employment from their home base. The report highlights some of the business benefits, as well as the positive impacts for the participating individuals, the wider community and the environment.
For further information please contact David Stewart, Director, Highland Employer Coalition.
