With more and more Scots finding employment as the national unemployment rate falls to a record low, it’s a fantastic time for businesses to capitalise on the eagerness of prospective employees across Scotland. 

 

According to recent research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the country’s unemployment rate dipped to 3 per cent between December 2022 and February 2023 - the lowest it’s been since the early 90s - with over 2.4 million workers now on payrolls in Scotland.

 

Without a doubt it’s a welcome rise, but we can’t rest on our laurels. It’s important that every possible step is taken to keep the numbers on that upward trajectory.

 

Those steps include examining the current barriers to employment and looking for ways to remove them, so those who want to work can do so.

 

I heard about a brilliant project recently that’s doing just that – it’s called All in Glasgow.

 

It’s coordinated by Enable Works and is a collaborative effort between 17 charities across the city who are working together to support those who face barriers, including poverty, disability, homelessness and substance misuse.

 

It looks set to make a real impact by helping 1,500 people into the world of work, by assisting them in getting the qualifications and training they need to secure a long-term job with decent pay.

 

I was especially impressed by the fact this initiative is looking to tackle this problem from a range of different angles to reach as many people as possible and to help them thrive.

 

As well as training (which, by the way, is also available to those in work but at risk of redundancy) it has dedicated support available for parents and it provides supported employment for “as long as required” in a bid to promote social inclusion, dignity and respect.

 

This isn’t the first project of this kind facilitated by Enable Works. There have already been similar successful projects in Edinburgh, Dundee and Moray which have helped people into long-term employment.

 

It’s great to see the concept being rolled out more widely and I’m sure there are many people in Glasgow who will be excited to see it landing on their doorstep.

 

Hopefully it will result in an improvement in employment rates in the city, as well as better job retention rates, not to mention greater diversity and inclusion.

 

Let’s also remember that this isn’t just providing a golden opportunity for jobseekers – businesses in Glasgow should be excited too.

 

As businesses across the country continue to face a wave of challenges with recruitment, Glasgow’s about to benefit from an additional 1,500 eager workers.

 

Businesses talk a good game when it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion but they need to make sure they’re putting their money where their mouth is and providing opportunities.

 

Companies tend to thrive when their workforce is made up of people from a variety of backgrounds. This diversity opens the door to different way of working and thinking and also ensures your workforce has a variety of skills, perspectives and ideas that can prove invaluable.

 

That’s why All in Glasgow isn’t just working with prospective employees to tackle these recruitment barriers, it also wants to support employers in promoting diversity and inclusion.  It also wants to see them ditch what it calls the “inappropriate use” of infamous zero hours contracts, which can only be a good thing.

 

Seeing this commitment to Glasgow following the scheme’s success across other Scottish cities has me feeling hopeful. Fingers crossed it’s a huge success for all involved, and maybe we’ll even see wider Scottish roll-out in the future.

 

 

Side

I was recently invited to deliver a talk on enterprise and entrepreneurship at a primary school in Alloa.

 

I think it’s great that the head teacher of Fishcross Primary wants the youngsters to learn about entrepreneurship as it can open doors for them in future.

 

I visited the P6 and 7 classes and told them about my journey into business and some of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years.

 

To be honest I figured I’d be sharing insights with pupils who were total novices when it came to business, but I stand corrected. I was pleasantly surprised by the pupils’ knowledge and their advanced level of understanding of various business concepts, which was fantastic to see.

 

It turned out they’d been doing their homework already, and are even doing a project which involves launching their own businesses.  

 

They have three – a waffle and milkshake pop-up, a pre-loved clothes and accessories stall, and one group of pupils is even recording an album which will be sold digitally.

 

Times have certainly changed since my school days where you simply didn’t get opportunities like that.

 

It’s so encouraging to see a school putting in so much effort to get pupils engaged on this topic at such a young age.

 

I think far too often, pupils are taught that they should focus solely on passing exams and getting into university, and while that path is the right one for lots of people, there are others who would benefit much more from going down the entrepreneurial route. 

 

 

Laugh

It’s fantastic to hear that a growing number of American tourists are now visiting Scotland because a number of new routes between Edinburgh and the States have launched this month, including destinations such as Atlanta and Boston. 

 

Tourism industry representatives have speculated that TV shows filmed in Scotland like The Traitors and Outlander are behind the increase.

 

Some ambitious visitors have even said they decided to travel here to be in with a chance of spotting the Loch Ness monster.

 

That seems like a bit of a gamble when you’re forking out for a transatlantic flight – and we know there’s so much more to Scotland than castles and mythical monsters – but if it keeps the tourism trade rolling in then long may it last!

 

Weep

 

If you’re a dog lover I bet you were touched by the recent story about a dog in Aberdeen who was rescued after getting stuck down a fox-hole.

 

Bear, a Cavapoo, sparked a community-wide search that lasted for almost three days.

 

I was touched by the fact local businesses rallied round to help.   A drone company and a drainage company both offered their services to locate the pooch.

 

I love that even during tough economic times, businesses were eager and willing to give up their time and their expertise to offer a helping hand.

 

If you run a company, nurturing your local community and giving something back might not make you money but that’s irrelevant – it still makes good business sense and builds trust and reputation.