Two Lantra projects, one aimed at encouraging the age 50+ workforce into training and one targeting school pupils, have featured as best practice examples in the recently published Scottish Government strategy document 'Skills for Scotland, a lifelong skills strategy'.
The Scottish Government funded initiative 'Experience Counts' encourages mature workers to learn new skills, increasing their confidence and improving their employment and development opportunities.
Through the project, Sector Skills Councils collaborate with employers and learning institutions to provide 'bite-sized' or taster courses to meet employer and worker needs. Following a Training Needs Analysis, learners create their own Personal Development Plan. They then choose a preferred mode of delivery for training that best fits with their individual needs and circumstances. Lantra is piloting the project for the forestry, fisheries management, aquaculture and production horticulture industries in Scotland. The project has been extremely successful and particularly well received in the Highlands.
The case study featured the North West Mull Community Woodland Company Limited (NWMCWCL). The company was formed to allow the community to purchase two woodlands, Langamull and West Ardhu. This was the first community purchase under the new National Forest Land Scheme. The training helped the company to achieve several of their business objectives by training core staff in the safe use of chainsaws. The course was delivered on site at Dervaig Village by an instructor from Oatridge College and covered maintenance, crosscutting, felling and processing of trees.
The second project to feature was the ground-breaking land-based curriculum for schools, which was developed by Lantra and Breadalbane Academy with support from ESF Objective 3 funding, in conjunction with local employers. It serves to provide pupils with on-the-job skills training and valuable insight into land-based careers. Pupils benefit from enhanced employability skills and a nationally recognised qualification either a 'Skills for Work' or 'Scottish Progression Award' in Rural Skills.
The land-based curriculum has received acclaim from Ministers, industry and leading industry bodies such as NFU Scotland and is now being rolled out to over 40 schools across Scotland.
Lantra has established a strategic steering group of employers from industry, farmers, teachers, colleges and other key partners to further develop a sustainable land-based curriculum programme.
