Funding for Core Skills
With financial doom and gloom all around it is encouraging to hear that almost 300 Scottish projects will benefit from the first round of the 2007-13 European Structural Funds programme. Something in the region of £200 million has been allocated to support economic development, enhance skills, increase turnover and help create new jobs.
Projects cover a wide range of industry and hope to develop the ‘core skills’ of the workforce by improving standards in numeracy, literacy and problem solving.
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said:
“At a time of global uncertainty, the Scottish Government decided to front-load European Structural Funds to provide a direct stimulus to the Scottish economy. We are now seeing the benefits of this, with projects such as North East Work Skills helping to ensure hundreds of workers are gaining the skills needed to succeed in the job market.”
“European funding has always provided a major opportunity to help create a wealthier and fairer Scotland, but in the current climate it is all the more important that we use the tools at our disposal – including structural funds – to help stimulate investment and job creation.”
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