Welcome to the third edition of our Skills Update for employers across  Edinburgh and West Lothian.

This newsletter offers a glimpse of the various initiatives involving SDS and its partners across the region, including the support that we can offer to businesses of all sizes.

Support for small businesses to boost their skills in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable technologies and carbon reduction is now available thanks to an innovative training fund.

The Low Carbon Skills Fund gives firms with fewer than 100 employees the chance to access funding of up to £5000 towards training costs.

More than 200 events took place during Scottish Apprenticeship Week showing how apprenticeships help  inidviduals and employers.

Businesses  across the country were involved alongside schools, colleges, training providers, politicians and the apprentices themselves.

Firms planning to take on apprentices in the next year are now being invited to take the Employer Promise on our website, Apprenticeships.scot 

Edinburgh micro-businesses are being invited to enter the Buchanan Business Awards and be in with a chance of winning up to £3000.

Aimed at firms with between one and nine employees, last year's overall winners were micro-brewers Pilot Beer (right).

Read the Guidance Notes

Download the Application forrm

An innovative programme dedicated to encouraging more girls to challenge convention and pursue digital careers has been launched.

‘Girls into Digital World’ saw a three-day series of activities involving Microsoft and Standard Life being held in Edinburgh to inspire and engage girls in S3 take up digital careers.

A pilot initiative to support women back into employment in the STEM industries after a career break has been launched.

SDS is funding the project by Equate Scotland in partnership with Prospect (the trade union for professionals), to help women return to STEM sectors after a career break.

Support to take on young workers is available through Scotland's Employer Recruitment Incentive.

Adminstered by local authorities, it offers employers around £4000 to offset additional costs including equipment and staff time for training and induction.

Lothian Buses has recruited 46 Modern Apprentices in the last four years, with the firm praising apprentices for their teamwork, attitide and communication skills.

Recruits include 20-year-old Kyle McLeod, who is pursuing his dream career thanks to the opportunity.

Support for oil and gas workers to use their skills in other sectors can now be accessed online thanks to the launch of a dedicated website.

The £12million Oil & Gas Transition Training Fund is aimed at people who have been made redundant from the sector or are at risk of redundancy.