Associate feature: Developing the workforce of the future

We don’t go in for hyperbole and drama at The Open University in Scotland, instead preferring to work away quietly and constructively to find solutions to the challenges facing us. We have reached a point, however, where we must be honest and say the current environment for upskilling the country’s workforce is the worst it has been in the 25 years of devolution.   

In the last Budget, the Scottish Government axed the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF). Shortly after, the Scottish Funding Council, facing its own budget cuts and having to balance its books, cancelled the Upskilling Fund.

This comes despite the fact that survey after survey from respected organisations, including our own Business Barometer, consistently show that Scotland’s economy is being held back by a lack of investment in the upskilling and reskilling of our workforce. 

Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of Scotland’s economy. In recent years they’ve faced the shockwaves from a global COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the interest rate rises following the mini-budget of the short-lived Liz Truss premiership.    

In what was our last round of Upskilling Fund applications, we received 2,345 applications and had to decline 1,136 as we didn’t have the funds to support each application. Applications were received across all 32 local authorities with 27% of applicants living in SIMD 20/40 areas and 11% declaring a disability.  

To put it simply, there is an economic imperative to ensure that our workforce is equipped with the skills they need; particularly if the Scottish Government is to realise its new priority of economic growth. That won’t be achieved as long as funding for employers to upskill their staff is being cut. 

The need for forensic pre-budget scrutiny in regard of the Scottish Government’s commitment to upskilling the country’s workforce has never been greater. Let me be clear, this is not solely about our institutional funding; it concerns all further and higher education institutions and training providers up and down the country. And indeed, it is also germane to the hopes and aspirations of SMEs and their employees as well as the third sector and social enterprises. 

We are dedicated to extending opportunities for educational success to every potential student who wants to achieve their ambitions. Our students often tell us the importance of being a role model to their children when undertaking their studies:

“I’m super proud to be able to show my children when they grow up that if you believe you can, then you can.” 

One way we hope to meet those hopes and aspirations is by working with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to develop entrepreneurship opportunities across Scotland. Together we hope to create a unique programme featuring a collaborative platform, events and mentorship to demonstrate a new model for the delivery of targeted entrepreneurial education. 

The programme will focus on women and those with care responsibilities, older learners, those with disabilities and those in rural locations where practical and financial constraints mean they cannot access the full range of entrepreneurial support open to others. We particularly hope to advance greater inclusion, equality, and diversity though this work.

In that collaborative spirit, we seek to work across the Scottish Parliament to find solutions that will allow us to continue supporting businesses, charities and social enterprises. There is little to be gained from merely complaining from the sidelines, as opposed to constructively working with all stakeholders to shape a better environment for our workforce of the future. In doing so, we will remain true to our mission of ‘being open to people, places and ideas’.    

This article is sponsored by The Open University in Scotland.

www.open.ac.uk/Scotland