£250k Caithness fund boost offers hope for more graduate and apprenticeship roles in far north
A quarter of a million pounds has been pledged to help create further jobs and training opportunities in the far north.
The Caithness Business Fund has received the £250,000 investment from NRS Dounreay and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for the second year to support two apprenticeship grant schemes and create a new pilot graduate placement scheme.
Last year’s investment saw 13 new apprentices taken on by businesses in the region.
The schemes are designed to tackle skills shortages and drive investment in new opportunities for businesses and young people in the north Highlands.
The business fund will offer eligible businesses the opportunity to access financial grants towards employment and associated training costs of apprentices and graduates.
These schemes will be open to businesses that can demonstrate a strong commitment to hosting a modern apprenticeship or graduate and providing a supportive pathway. It targets SMEs with the aim of facilitating new apprenticeship and graduate opportunities to stimulate business growth and overcome potential financial barriers.
Trudy Morris, executive director of the Caithness Business Fund and CEO of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, managing agent of the fund, said: “This is a significant investment by NRS Dounreay and the NDA and is testament to the success of the fund over this last year, which has supported businesses to create 13 new apprenticeships.
“This investment will enable the fund to offer further grants to eligible businesses through its FutureSkills and standard apprenticeship schemes. In addition, it will also enable the fund to run a pilot graduate placement scheme which will help support up to 70 per cent of salary costs for businesses employing a new graduate for a two-year period.
“There is a huge appetite from both businesses and stakeholders to boost apprenticeship and graduate opportunities in the region. Furthermore, what is also encouraging is an increased interest from young people in the region in local career opportunities.
“We are delighted to have the backing of NRS Dounreay and the NDA on these initiatives, which recognises the critical importance of apprentices and graduates in the workforce. The Caithness Business Fund has a strong track record of delivering support and this continued funding provides an opportunity for inward investors to further contribute to the development of a strong and resilient supply chain.”
Dave Calder, head of sustainability and socio economics at NRS Dounreay, said: "The success of the apprentice initiative over the last 12 months has given Dounreay the opportunity to further bolster and enhance the capabilities of local SMEs by adding graduate support to the apprentice offering.
“Initiatives like these not only attract participation from other large organisations who are vested in the region but also help establish the lasting legacy of a skilled local workforce in the coming decades.”
Jamie Reed, director of socio-economics at the NDA, added: “Building upon the success of the Dounreay apprenticeship scheme, the prospect of extending NDA group support to encompass opportunities within the wider economy is very exciting. This support highlights our commitment as an organisation to fostering sustainable development and nurturing a vibrant and diverse business landscape for the north Highlands.
“This partnership working represents a vote of confidence in the area’s future.”