This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Euro funding for Highlands & Islands projects
28/12/2006
Training and cultural development is at the heart of the projects included in the final Round of the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) 2000-2006.
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Allan Wilson announced that 46 projects will receive over £2.8 million between them to promote economic development and social inclusion.
The total value of these projects for the region is over £7 million and includes initiatives such as a Gaelic writing course for journalists and language training for foreign hospitality workers.
Allan Wilson said:
"I am pleased to announce that European funding will help support a further 46 important projects across the Highlands and Islands.
"Over £2.8 million will go to benefit a range of regional projects and I'm pleased to see technology used to bring people in rural areas into learning and personal development.
"Growing the economy is our key priority and investment like this in improving skills and ensuring equal opportunities for all to enter and progress in the labour market is essential to achieving that aim.
"Language development and cultural integration are an important part of a strong economy and it's great to see training in the Gaelic language as well as English for foreign workers included in these projects.
"With the next ESF programme on the horizon, we are working to ensure that we can continue to provide strong support so that individuals and businesses can reach their full potential."
EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS:
Fèisean nan Gàidheal
Lead Sponsor Fèisean nan Gàidheal
Total project cost £84,470
Grant award £49,470
Fèisean nan Gàidheal was established in 1988 as the independent umbrella association of the Fèis movement. The organisation offers grant-aid, training programmes, insurance, instrument-bank administration, published resources and many other services to its member Fèisean. The ESF project aims to provide training for volunteers and musicians who wish to take part in delivering traditional music tuition throughout the Highlands & Islands.
Silean Sgrìobhaidh Gàidhlig - Gaelic Writing Skills
Lead Sponsor National Union of Journalists
Total project cost £177,422
Grant award £50,000
Building on their successful ESF supported English for Journalist course, the award of £50,000 will enable the National Union for Journalist to develop the course improving Gaelic writing skills of journalists and writers in the Highlands and Islands. Working with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and the Scottish Union Learning Fund, the National Union of Journalist will develop an online course, enabling them to meet the needs of learners across the remotest parts of the area.
Online Hospitality Training for Speakers of English and Polish
Lead sponsor The North Highland College
Total project cost £98,809
Grant award £49,404
This new innovative project will build upon existing work to improve the skills and experience of people working in the hospitality sector in the Highlands and Islands. The course will provide flexible, online learning opportunities to meet the needs of the participants whose geographic location, work and/or family commitments create barriers to learning. In recognition of the significant involvement of migrant workers, in particular Polish speakers, employed in the hospitality industry in the region, the project will also provide training materials translated into to Polish.
Highlands and Islands Equality Forum
Lead sponsor Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Total project costs £183,900
Grant award £91,950
The Highlands & Islands Equality Forum is a unique pan Highland project which has been delivering Equality training at local levels to small businesses, voluntary organisations, education institutions and public authorities. It works in partnership with SCVO, HIE, UHI, Local Authorities, Communities Scotland and from 2007 with Scottish Enterprise as well as with National Equality Authorities to raise awareness of equality issues and ensure that the Highlands and Islands area contributes towards national policy.
The project will deliver equality training to 500 beneficiaries and will have 6 strands, Training and Learning, Awareness Raising, Events, Research, Communication and Strategic Programme.
Background:
European Structural Funds help work to reinforce and add value to a number of the Scottish Executive's key policies such as the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland, Workforce Plus - An Employability Framework for Scotland, Closing the Opportunity Gap, Regeneration Policy Statement, the NEET Strategy, More Choices More Chances, Smart Successful Scotland, and the Lifelong Learning Strategy. A report demonstrating the links between Structural Funds and social inclusion issues has been published: 'Social Inclusion Area Strategies: the Role of European Structural Funds' and 'A Guidance Note on the Interaction between Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) and European Structural Funds', currently available on the Scottish Executive website through http://www.scotland.gov.uk/structuralfunds
Over £1.1 billion of European funding is available across all the European Structural Fund Programmes over the 2000-06 period. The Scottish Executive acts as the Managing Authority for all of the Programmes and a number of Community Initiatives.
This is the final Round of funding through the current Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme in the 2000-06 ESF programme.
Scotland will have four new Structural Funds programmes operating from 2007-2013 - a European Regional Development Fund and a European Social Fund programme in the Highlands & Islands, and a European Regional Development Fund and a European Social Fund programme in Lowlands and Uplands Scotland. The programmes are currently out to public consultation, which will finish on 8 January 2007. The consultation is described on the Executive's Structural Funds website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/structuralfunds.
In line with the rest of the UK, Scotland's level of Structural Funds is declining from £1.1 billion between 2000 and 2006 to £490 million between 2007 and 2013.