KEY ACTIVITIES FOR 2023-24 INFLUENCING POLICY AND PRACTICE TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SECTOR

A key aim of our work under this theme is to support investment in learning, skills development and training and thereby improve business performance. Although significant progress has been made over the last few years, with two new Skills Groups (Horticulture and Peatland) working alongside the more established groups, the review of Aquaculture has emphasised the need to regularly review remit, aims and membership. We plan to do this in line with recommendations resulting from the Skills review and the Commission for the review of land-based learning. There is also a need to do this in line with Fair Work objectives, and to ensure learning from interventions such as the Women in Agriculture Taskforce and Women in Scottish Aquaculture is used to inform actions to attract more women into nature-based sectors where there is a gender imbalance, and to extend this work to other areas of imbalance.

At the same time, it is important that those wishing to develop their nature-based skills are able to tailor their route to net zero, and can readily judge whether the training available is right for them and their business needs. To this end, and to better support our industries during their just transition to a greener economy, we will commence consultation on the development of a framework that will better allow courses to be scored on sustainability criteria. This would offer particular benefits if integrated into the next iteration of the Farm Advisory Service which currently is limited to recommend actions, rather than training. This work will of course help to support increased training within the agricultural sector in particular, but once established, could be rolled out to other nature based industries.

Under theme 3 we will also work to support more employers and employees to champion skills and career opportunities whether it be by offering work experience or mentoring a new entrant. We will increase the online support available to them, and run information sessions to help encourage them to take that first step. And of course we will continue to offer work experience ourselves, and to offer mentoring both internally and externally to Lantra.

WORK IN THE NATURE-BASED SECTOR CONTRIBUTES

SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE SCOTTISH ECONOMY AMOUNTING TO 195,000 JOBS OR 7.5% OF SCOTLAND’S WORKFORCE IN 2019

NATURE-BASED JOBS ALSO GREW AT MORE THAN FIVE TIMES THE RATE OF ALL JOBS IN SCOTLAND IN THE PERIOD 2015-19(1)

Forexample,theSectoralSkillsAssessmentscombineAgriculture,ForestryandFishing(2)inanassessmentwhichencompasses:CropandAnimalProduction,HuntingandRelatedServiceActivities,Forestry,Logging,FishingandAquaculture(38,000people).There isnoseparateskillsassessmentforforestryor'otherlanduse',insteadthereisaFoodandDrinkPrimaryProductionassessment(3)whichencompasses:CropandAnimalProduction,HuntingandRelatedServiceActivities,andFishingandAquaculture(34,100 people) andconservationisn'tincludedineither https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/49832/ssa-agriculture.pdf https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/49838/ssa-food-and-drink-primary-production.pdf