Please find the post conference report here.

Scotland needs a highly-skilled, motivated and modern workforce to ensure its long-term economic success and well-being. This conference will examine some of the challenges – and opportunities - to give Scotland a labour market fit for a 21st century global economy, with a specific focus on apprentices. The event will be held during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 

How can we bring through the right people with the right skills to address key challenges like productivity, unemployment, gender inequality and the pay gap?

What more can be done to ensure young people leave school or college with the appropriate qualifications and the right soft skills to make an effective transition into the world of work? There is much to be done to ensure the skill system and business community work more effectively and collaboratively.

Creating the right opportunities for better and more collaborative vocational and technical training is crucial. It is also necessary to improve soft skills in areas like punctuality, presentation, interview techniques and broad customer service.

There are major issues around opportunities for women, with many still pigeon-holed and pointed towards ‘traditional’ female careers, rather than being give a wider range of options to try to match them with their aspirations.

Agenda:

08.30 - Registration and networking over coffee

09.00 - Welcome by the chair
Liz Connolly, Vice Principal, Corporate Development, West College Scotland 

09.05 - Newlands Junior College - a new approach to education
Jim McColl, Clyde Blowers

Session 1 – Setting the Scene
09.30 - Modern skills for a modern Scotland
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training, Scottish Government

09.45 - Apprenticeships at the heart: creating a 21st century skills system that works for young people and for business
Marion Beattie, Head of Employer Services, Skills Development Scotland

10.05 - Q and A
Jim McColl, Roseanna Cunningham and Marion Beattie

Session 2 – Moving forward: the business perspective
10.20 - High-quality apprenticeships: aspiring to be the best - opportunities and challenges
John Lochrie, Operations Director, Service and Repair British Gas

plus An apprentice’s tale: Julie Dickson, Scottish Gas

10.50 -Filling the IT skills gaps
Tommy Laughlin, Head of Public Sector, ScotlandIS

11.10 - Coffee Break

Session 3 - Moving forward: a new role for schools and colleges
11.35 - Colleges and Apprenticeships: the importance of partnership
Helen Young and Lynn Bain, West Lothian College

11.55 - A modern approach to school-industry partnerships
Steve Ross, Headteacher, Craigroyston Community High, Edinburgh

12.15 - Q and A 
John Lochrie, Tommy Laughlin, Helen Young and Stephen Ross

Session 4 – Moving forward: greater diversity in the workforce
12.30 - Creating a genuinely diverse workforce at all levels
Linda Urquhart, Chairman, Morton Fraser and Investors in People Scotland and non-executive director/ board member of a number of other businesses

12.50 - Panel discussion on diversity
Linda Urquhart, Christine McGourty (Corporate Affairs Director, Scottish Gas) and Marion Beattie

13.10 - Summary and closing remarks.
Liz Connolly, Chair

13.15 - Networking lunch

Please note agenda may be subject to change.

Information and fees:

We are pleased to offer the best value conference rates in Scotland
Delegate Rate: £120.00 + VAT
Fees include refreshments, networking lunch and exclusive access to the Post Conference Reports.

For more information please email conferences@scotsman.com or give the team a call on: 0131 311 7237

To book your place please click here.

The Scotsman Conferences are half day events. Registration will be from 8.30am. The conference will draw to a close at approximately 1.15pm and be followed by a networking lunch.

Key Speaker: See speaker list above
Venue: The Scottish National Gallery (Map Details)
Time: 19 May 2015, at 08:30