Engineering |
RECOMMENDATION | COMMENT |
28. The Scottish Parliament must take a lead in developing lifelong learning initiatives such that we ensure the ongoing provision of sufficient, flexible, well-motivated personnel capable of enhancing the growth of established businesses as well as attracting more inward investment. | Numerous initiatives have been introduced to boost Scottish skill levels, including learndirect scotland (to help people identify the course they want to do), Future Skills Scotland (to identify Scotland's current and future skills gaps), and Careers Scotland (the new all-age guidance service to help people choose their career). The Executive is currently working on a new lifelong learning strategy to drive forward the agenda. This is due to be published after the Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Committee Inquiry has produced its recommendations this summer (2002). A highly-skilled workforce is vital in order to help both Scotland's businesses and Scotland's people.
See 15 |
29. The Scottish Parliament needs to encourage Scottish higher education institutions to become more market orientated by providing quality graduates suited to the needs of industry. This is likely to include some form of rationalisation to ensure that best use is made of particular areas of engineering experience with the establishment of centres of excellence. | The Higher Education Review provides an opportunity to explore this. |
30. The Scottish Parliament should give its support to initiatives aimed at improving the overall status of engineering whereby youngsters can be encouraged to enter the engineering profession. | The Executive is currently participating in the Roberts Review of the Supply of Skilled Scientists and Engineers in the UK. The interim findings of the review were published in November 2001 with the final report published in April 2002. A Science Strategy for Scotland, published in August 2001, gave a series of commitments to improving science education, including promoting science as a career.
See 47.4 |
31. The Scottish Parliament should volunteer to establish appropriate benchmarking initiatives on productivity improvements which can provide a lead for other areas of the UK. | Attention has focused on measuring and analysing the level and growth rates of productivity in the whole economy (1999 and 1985-2000, respectively) and the growth rate (1985-2000) in manufacturing. See 'Productivity in Scotland', Scottish Economic Report, June 2001, pp. 74-79. |
32. The Scottish Parliament should ensure that the industry in Scotland is fully supported to encourage optimum levels of investment for the future and is no less favourably treated than our competitors. | The Review of Regional Selective Assistance, published in February 2002, recommends more focus on Scottish companies. The improved marketing and further streamlining should make it easier for Scottish companies to access support. |
33. The Scottish Parliament should introduce a job impact audit as a means of assessing the effects of proposed legislation. It should be a general policy to reduce legislative burdens on industry. | The use of Regulatory Impact Assessments, as at entry 19, ensures a full assessment of likely impact on business, including costs and benefits, is completed by departments before proposed legislation is introduced with a view to ensuring that the administrative burden on business is kept to a minimum. How individual companies might respond to any additional costs resulting from legislation is, however, outwith the scope of the RIA and could not be assessed with any certainty or accuracy. |
34. The Scottish Parliament should encourage the various financial institutions to take a longer-term view in supporting growing businesses. | The Competition Commission reported to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on the banking industry including relationships with SMEs, in October 2001. The report was made public on 14 March 2002. The UK Government response is expected shortly. |
35. The Scottish Parliament should benchmark the various performance levels being reported in relation to the local enterprise companies. Thereafter, those Local Enterprise Companies currently performing best should be encouraged to help others in developing best practice across Scotland. | Local Enterprise Companies are now companies wholly owned by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise and are contracted to deliver the Enterprise Networks' priorities at local level. Both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise assess their Local Enterprise Companies' contribution to achieving the overall strategic direction set by the Executive in A Smart, Successful Scotland (published in January 2001). Scottish Enterprise has recently appointed three Operations Directors, charged with ensuring that local and national priorities are fully integrated.
In addition, Local Economic Forums (whose membership includes the Local Enterprise Companies) have produced action plans for removing overlap and duplication and improving business support services. As part of the assessment of these action plans the Executive has disseminated examples of good practice to all Forums. |
36. The Scottish Parliament should examine best practice worldwide in developing an appropriate integrated transport policy for Scotland. | When developing policy the Executive looks to examples of good practice elsewhere, but is sensitive to the need to choose comparable examples and compare like with like. |
37. The proposed inclusive nature of the Scottish Parliament is most welcome and should include the active participation of non-voting industrialists at the Committee stage when considering matters affecting industry. | This aim is consistent with the key principles of sharing power and accountability and participation adopted by both the Parliament and the Executive. The Committees of the Parliament have regard to the relevant interests consulted by the Executive in the development of its policies. Besides seeking formal evidence from relevant interests in considering legislative proposals, Committees are able to conduct their own inquiries into specific matters within their remits. |