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Skills Development Scotland Offers Wealth Of Support To Licensed Trade

Skills Development Scotland offers wealth of support to licensed trade

SKILLS Development Scotland (SDS) works directly with employers across the country, providing advice to help firms invest in existing skills, develop new talent and get the right products to grow their business.

For employers in the licensed trade, that could range from helping to recruit fresh new talent locally to identifying areas for upskilling to boost growth and productivity.

In particular, small to medium employers in the sector are being encouraged to make use of the Skills for Growth initiative, offered by SDS in partnership with Remarkable Scotland.

A free service available to businesses with between five and 250 employees, Skills for Growth provides up to two days of free business consultancy, helping an employer create a detailed people plan and guiding them to the right support.

Lawrence Durden, tourism industry manager at SDS and a member of the SLTA’s new non-executive Board, said: “Skills for Growth is an excellent tool and it’s designed specifically for small to medium businesses that are looking to grow.

“By identifying skills gaps and developing a plan for filling them, businesses have the opportunity to unlock their growth potential.

“I have no doubt that more businesses in the licensed trade in all parts of Scotland could benefit from this service, and it’s entirely free.”

SDS’s dedicated employer engagement team is based around Scotland, and can provide one-to-one advice for businesses on how they can best meet their skills needs.

In many cases, it involves helping businesses develop their approach to work-based learning, helping both new and existing employees to develop their core skills and increase productivity.

Durden said: “Work-based learning can help businesses take steps towards realising their growth ambitions in a number of ways.

“There are more than 80 types of Modern Apprenticeships available, offering on-the-job training for current or new employees that leads to an industry-approved qualification.

“For example, licensed businesses looking to expand functions in areas such as marketing or business administration could look to an apprentice as the solution.

“We are also now developing Graduate Apprenticeships which mix academic learning up to Master’s degree level with practical experience, helping employers find skills in areas which can be difficult to recruit.

“For employers looking to identify potential fresh talent, there’s also Foundation Apprenticeships which offer senior school pupils the chance to gain experience of the workplace and earn an industry-recognised qualification.

“If employers are keen to recruit from their local area, getting involved in Foundation Apprenticeships could be ideal.”

Find out more at SDS’s dedicated web service for employers, www.ourskillsforce.co.uk.

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