Glasgow Talks
Glasgow Talks... with Damien Yeates, SDS
Upskilling Scotland’s workforce to increase social inclusion and tackle national productivity was a theme shared at two events
D
amien Yeates, the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland (SDS) since 2008, speaking in December, is a powerful
advocate for work-based learning. “My ambitions for our organisation include improving industry engagement in workforce development through Foundation and Graduate Level Apprenticeships, supporting diversity for fair and productive workplaces, and providing greater support to pupils earlier to help them on the path to sustainable careers,” he told Chamber members and guests at 200 SVS. SDS is leading on skills planning and
development in Scotland, encouraging businesses and industry to work with education and training providers. He encouraged Chamber members
to embrace the various apprenticeship programmes and he praised the many Glasgow companies who have already signed up to support young people with apprenticeships. He said the world of work was changing rapidly and that two- thirds of current primary school children
will end up in digital jobs that do not exist at the moment. He said the workforce needed to be highly skilled, flexible and resilient. In 2020, there are over 37,000 people
in Scotland working as apprentices in industries ranging from financial services to engineering and digital technologies to health and social care. He explained that the three types
of Scottish apprenticeships – the Foundation Apprenticeship, for those still at school gaining a taste of the workplace, the Modern Apprenticeship, where young people get a job, get paid and get qualified, and the Graduate Apprenticeship, which is a new way to work, learn, earn and gain a university degree – are all working well. He cited the involvement of the likes
of Barclays and JP Morgan as employers who are seeing the benefit of building their own graduate apprenticeship programmes in conjunction with Scottish universities. This, he said, was a superb template for Scotland’s future ability to ensure good employment for tomorrow’s workforce.
Damien Yeates, Chief Executive, Skills Development Scotland and Alison McRae, Senior Director, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
Glasgow Talks, sponsored by the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow and the Clydesdale Bank, is Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s monthly series of business seminars featuring influential guest speakers drawn from the business and political elite.
Glasgow Talks... with Jane Wood, BT
JANE Wood, Director of UK Nations and Regions for BT Group, speaking at the October Glasgow Talks event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central, told Chamber members that more than 95 per cent of Scotland was now able to access superfast broadband. In addition, 4G mobile coverage was increasing every year, and the latest 5G technology was now a reality. Scotland, she said, has never been so well-connected, but this also meant that everyone must be able to benefit from this transformation. She said consumers, businesses and the public sector all have access to
8
www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
cloud-based storage and secure data storage and technology had a pivotal role to play in making all of our lives better. “At BT we believe in digital equality and want everyone to benefit from the power of technology,” she said. She pointed out that projects, such as the Barefoot computing programme for teachers across the UK – funded and run by BT in partnership with Computing at School (CAS) – were helping bring computing and technology into the classroom. This was ensuring computing was firmly on the primary school curriculum.
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Jane Wood, Director of UK Nations and Regions, BT Group
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
