1. The response from the SCOTTISH FORESTRY & TIMBER TECHNOLOGIES SECTOR
A Skills Agenda
The response from the SCOTTISH FORESTRY & TIMBER TECHNOLOGIES SECTOR

2. Agenda for Tonight SFTT Skills Group (Ashley)
An update on the agreed Skills Action Plan and Priority Actions (Ashley)
Industry & Employment trends in South Scotland (Ashley)
The importance of Talent Attraction and ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ (Senga –DYW)
How you can play your part (Senga –DYW)
Agenda for Tonight

3. A Skills Agenda : The Policy Drivers
Employer
Schools
Colleges
A Skills Agenda : The Policy Drivers
Regional Skills Assessment & Investment Plans (Skills Development Scotland)
Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce (Scottish Government)
National Performance Framework (Scottish Government)
Apprenticeship Levy (UK Government)
Roots for Growth (Scottish Forest & Timber Technologies)

4. SFTT ILG – Skills Group
Membership drawn from a wide range of organisations, including FCS, Confor, SE, HIE, SDS, ICF, UKFPA, LANTRA, and educational institutions like UHI, SRUC, and Edinburgh Napier University.
Its activities align with and support the industry strategy, Roots for Future Growth and are complementary to the Scottish Government’s Programme Developing the Young Workforce and its agenda Widening Access and Participation in Further and Higher Education. 
agree collective action across industry and key agencies on priority skills issues. The Skills Action Plan and its future delivery provides a focus for all this activity.

5. SFTT ILG – Skills Group : The Group’s Objective
Support the delivery of the Skills Action Plan
Challenge and encourage industry to take the lead with the skills agenda
Identify knowledge gaps, skills needs and steer resources where possible to support the sector
Inform and influence on skills issues including qualification development and support the Skills Planning Model
Where necessary, make representation on skills issues on behalf of the sector in Scotland

6. Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies sector:
Skills & training scoping study
Dr Bianca Ambrose-Oji
Dr Elizabeth Barron-Majerik

7. Scottish Forestry & Timber Technologies Industry
Against the backdrop of : Growing the skills and capacity of our people
Key Findings :
An ageing Workforce (NOT very diverse)
The need to attract and recruit suitably trained candidates
Retaining and developing existing employees
Sector Needs :
Skilled technical forestry workers
Forest Operators
Forest managers and professional occupations
Forest workers and contractors able to operate to quality standards.
Workers required along the value chain
Evidence of training need in sawing / milling sector
Conflicting evidence re the size of demand

8. Reducing numbers of students on SFTT courses (despite increase in students in Higher Education generally)
Education providers have moved away from part-time courses in favour of full-time
Short part-time FTT courses, run by colleges, have become very important, stable & increasing
Fragmented industry structure leads to little capacity for employer provided training (particularly machine operators)
Significant barriers to employers and providers delivering the Modern Apprenticeship
An Industry perception that existing courses do not meet industry needs
Confusing CPD, Certification, training options and pathways (for students and employers)
Poor understanding of career progression (new entrants/ students)
Training provider locations relative to industry/students

9. Workforce Development
The Skills Action Plan provides a focus for this activity
Employer
Schools
Colleges
Talent Attraction
New Entrants
Curriculum Review
Workforce Development

10. Collating Labour Market Intelligence
Co-ordinating & developing resources to promote the industry and careers within the sector
Working with National & Regional DYW groups to support college/school engagement
Developing and supporting an Industry Ambassador programme

11. Facilitated the re-evaluation and approval of the Trees & Timber National Occupational Standards
Engaging with SDS/SAAB regarding Apprenticeship routes following Levy and SG Consultation.
Exploring alternative training models
Evaluating pilot ‘Shared Apprenticeship’ project (Fife)

12. Developing a register of recognised and promoted CPD opportunities for the industry.
Carrying out Harvesting Machine census.
Developing a Forest Machine Operator training to meet sector demands

13. Developing/promoting increasing industry/sector engagement with Further/Higher Education establishments and courses.
Exploring opportunities for improved Industry/Sector support for industry education .
Providing industry engagement in the developing Foundation/Graduate Apprenticeship schemes

15. Industrial Structure of South of Scotland (GVA by sector) 2014
Agriculture, forestry and fishing plays a larger part in the economy of the South of Scotland than in Scotland as a whole
Industrial Structure of South of Scotland (GVA by sector) 2014
Total GVA (£m) at 2013 prices
Source: Oxford Economics forecasts

16. The sectors which currently comprise the greater share of GVA (Gross Value Added) are expected to continue to grow
Forecast Output Growth by Sector,

17. Business Base by Sector, 2015
Almost one in three businesses in the South of Scotland (29%) are in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector. This is almost three times the proportion in Scotland and reflects the importance of the sector to this largely rural economy.
Business Base by Sector, 2015
Source: UK Business Counts

18. The rate of self-employed worked in the South of Scotland is well above the Scottish average and may be as a result of the large agriculture, forestry and fishing sector which tends to be characterised by high levels of self-employment.
Business by Size, 2015
Business Density, 2015
Number of businesses by employee size band and by proportion of all businesses, 2015
Source: UK Business Counts

19. Population Projections, 2014-37
Population Projections by Age,
The South of Scotland population is projected to fall compared to growth in Scotland as a whole to 2037 (-3% compared to +8%).
The working age population is also projected to fall more sharply than nationally (-21% compared to -4%).
Over the longer term, the age structure of the region’s population is projected to become older.
Source: National Records of Scotland

20. South of Scotland: Key Implications (Selected highlights)
Recommended Areas of Focus
Creating a culture of employer investment. Employers continue to need to be encouraged to invest and innovate, which includes investment in skills. The supply of skills must also be available to satisfy increased and stimulated demand
Sectorally, there is a need to meet the needs of employers (2). There are other key sectors and occupations in the regional economy where replacement demand is strong, including skilled trades and sales & customer services. These require work- based learning routes into, and upwards, within sectors.
There will still be a need to meet the needs of employers in the traditional manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Although forecast to decline, replacement demand is still required, notably in elementary jobs and skilled trades and fit for purpose provision is required to meet this need.
A need for progression routes and pathways. Demand for skills in the region is strongest at the upper and lower skills levels – professional and elementary occupations – and so progression to upper skills levels needs to be engendered and facilitated.
A need for flexible provision. Non-permanent employment is increasingly a feature of the Scotland economy and more of the future jobs are expected to be part-time. Non traditional employment also means less conventional career paths, and movement between sectors. Skills provision must be equally flexible, and work-based learning routes are a feature of this.

21. Playing Your Part – Senga Greenwood