Addressing the labour market emergency: Scottish Government response

Next Steps

As noted in the Introduction, the sub-group had set out other areas for consideration it had planned to consider over the summer and report further. As plans emerged for further work by Government, the co-chairs concluded that the areas they felt required further consideration were already being taken forward by other groups or strands of Scottish Government work. The areas for consideration were:

• Incentives for employers to retain and recruit trainee workers
• COVID-19 Transition Training Fund
• Maximising graduate apprenticeship provision focusing on sectors and jobs supporting recovery
• Further business creation, growth and demand stimulus measures.

In closing the group at this time, the co-chairs noted that the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board (ESSB) would seek to ensure that the other actions identified for further consideration were fed into relevant work already underway including the review being conducted by the SFC and the work around a Job Guarantee for Scotland which is being undertaken by Sandy Begbie CBE. This has now been done.

The ESSB will oversee the specific recommendations being taken forward by the enterprise and skills agencies. This includes the proposal to look more closely at demand stimulus as part of a Business Creation and Growth package which is being taken forward now by the ESSB as part of the review of their four Strategic Missions work.

Monitoring implementation

In the coming weeks, we will develop a monitoring plan to enable us to track progress on the actions underway or at planning stage.

While the Scottish Government will monitor progress, the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board will also seek regular updates and monitor delivery through the skills and enterprise agencies.

As many of the actions set out are underway, we will seek to align this plan to existing programme management structures already in place or being developed.