A new era for learndirect scotland
You may have heard about our merger with Careers Scotland and the skills and learning arm of Scottish Enterprise to become a new body called Skills Development Scotland. The merger took place on the 1 April. Whilst the name will be in place on this date it's very much business as usual.
Skills Development Scotland is an amalgamation of Careers Scotland, the Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) and key skills elements of Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
This merger gives Scotland a coherent body to deliver comprehensive information, advice and guidance for careers and learning as well as delivering skills development, enabling the vision set out in the Skills Strategy to be delivered. It is important to note that Skills Development Scotland is not being established simply to continue with current service provision but to be a catalyst for real and positive change in Scotland's skills performance.
The full package of changes which Skills Development Scotland will implement, in addition to supporting those currently engaged in training programmes, is:
- Developing a Modern Apprenticeship (MAs) in Life Sciences
- Refocusing support in adult MAs to only construction and engineering related sectors (e.g. plumbing and bricklaying, electricians, shipbuilding, car maintenance and painting), producing an increase in the number of adult MAs in this sector by 50 per cent, assisting an additional 500 people in industries that face particular training pressures
- Increasing the 16-19 year old MAs by 10 per cent in all construction and engineering related sectors, a total of over 500 additional opportunities
- Maintaining support and recruitment for all 16-19 year old MA candidates for 2008-09
- Maintaining the same level of support for the Get Ready for Work and Training for Work programme
- Providing an additional 6,500 Level 2 MAs through reform of the Skillseeker programme
The website address is www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk