Highland Council Proposes Internal Workforce Development Strategy

Highland Council has put forward a proposal to cultivate its own workforce as a strategy to address ongoing recruitment difficulties. The council noted that securing candidates with appropriate skills and experience is a challenge across Scotland, which is intensified in the rural parts of the Highlands. The local authority also identified the region’s aging population as another significant hurdle, anticipating a substantial number of its current employees will retire within the coming five years. A recently published report indicates that Modern Apprenticeships and strong collaboration with local colleges and secondary schools are vital components for planning its future workforce. This report, scheduled for discussion by councillors on Thursday, additionally recommended that the council endeavor to decrease staff turnover. It stated that a perceived absence of training and development opportunities was among the reasons cited by departing staff members. To aid in employee retention, the report put forward recommendations for enhancing work-life balance through the promotion of flexible and hybrid working arrangements. Officials articulated in the document: “Focus lies on branding the Highland Council as an employer of choice and working in partnership with other employers to attract workforce to the Highland. “Growing our own by developing our current workforce and engaging the young workforce through Modern Apprenticeships is an essential component of workforce planning. “Other measures are working closely with secondary education providers to ensure training courses meet our recruitment needs, and to increase the number of work experience placements. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.