The Data Lab upskills more than 1000 learners to address growing digital skills gap

The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, has announced it has upskilled almost 1,000 learners in data literacy through its Data Skills for Work programme. The vast majority of which are based in Edinburgh and South East Scotland.

Led by The Data Lab, the Data Skills for Work programme is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s DDI (Data Driven Innovation) Data Skills Gateway at the University of Edinburgh. It aims to address the tech skills gap by offering a series of digital and data courses to support workers adapting to increasingly digitised, automated and data-driven workplaces.

In addition to tackling the skills gap, the programme also aims to encourage more diversity in the workplace. Only 24% of the UK’s tech workforce are women and 14% of UK employees are from BAME backgrounds. Data Skills for Work bucks the trend with almost 70% of learners being women or gender diverse, nearly a quarter being from a minority background, and 10% being disabled or neurodiverse.

The Data Skills for Work programme has received funding from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the Scottish Government, and the Tay Cities DigiTay project to fund training places for individuals across Scotland. The Data Lab has extended its work with DigiTay and will offer more data and upskilling courses to Tay Cities learners in 2024/25, aiming to reach upwards of 200 additional people across Tay Cities, Edinburgh and South East Scotland.

Anna Ashton Scott, Programme Manager for Professional Development at The Data Lab, said: “The pace of technological change shows no signs of slowing down. Workplaces are becoming increasingly reliant on technology and, with data now at the heart of many aspects of our professional lives, those who can’t keep up risk being left behind. While these changes certainly bring positives, it’s crucial we don’t let others fall by the wayside. The Data Skills for Work programme ensures those most impacted by the changes in digitalisation and AI can learn the skills they need, not only to survive in their chosen fields but to thrive in them.

“And the initial feedback we’ve received tells us it’s working. It has been extremely satisfying to see a significant number of learners either secure a data related role or progress in their careers following completion of the course.

“We’re excited to expand the programme further and look forward to seeing more learners join the scheme. Diversity has been a major focus for us, and we hope to continue empowering individuals regardless of their background, gender, or location to create a more diverse, skilled and inclusive workforce for all.”

Dilraj Sokhi-Watson, Director at Equate Scotland and a graduate of the Data Skills for Work programme, said: “With more than 10 years of experience in my field, there is still much more to data skills than I had realised. Before joining the programme, I was keen to bridge the gap between my existing expertise and the rapidly changing technology the team are using daily. I was also keen to develop skills that would allow me to implement strong practice in data governance, management and strategy across my team.

“Being part of Equate Scotland, diversity and encouraging more women into STEM careers has always been important to me. It’s rewarding to see the meaningful change being driven by the Data Skills for Work programme and how it contributes to achieving a more inclusive and innovative STEM sector for Scotland.”

The Data Skills Credits scheme, funding run by Data Skills for Work to ensure learners can undertake courses for free, will be open for training providers to apply this April. It will help to create over 200 training places across Tay Cities, Edinburgh and South East Scotland.

IRES Programme Wins At The Annual Scottish Public Service Awards

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s Integrated Regional Employability and Skills (IRES) Programme has won the Project and Programme Management Award at the annual Scottish Public Service Awards in the Scottish Parliament.

Deputy First Minister, Shona Robison and Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Liam McArthur announced the winners of the Holyrood Communications Scottish Public Service Awards (SPSA) in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday evening.

Scottish Public Service Awards Winners 2023

The IRES Programme Management Office has been the driving force behind this innovative and groundbreaking programme, bringing about substantial change to the lives of citizens and communities, brokering innovative partnerships, elevating opportunities for under-represented groups and attracting sizeable leverage funding. 
 
The IRES Programme and its cross-sector partnership is a change programme seeking to evolve regional labour market policy and practice to drive inclusive growth.

The IRES partnership is funded by £25 million investment (over eight years) and will deliver an additional 14,700 skill improvements; 5,300 people into employment; and a further 500 career enhancements through its seven themes:

• Integrated knowledge management systems;

• Labour market analysis and evaluation;

• Integrated employer engagement;

• Intensive family support service;

• Housing construction and infrastructure (HCI) targeted skills gateway;

• Data-driven innovation (DDI) targeted skills gateway; and

• Workforce mobility.

 Five years in, the programme is exceeding targets and has:

• supported 120,000 people to improve their skills.

• secured 4,600 job outcomes.

• leveraged an additional £6.33m funding.

Find out more about the IRES programme and its seven themes on the City Region Deal website.

A short film below summarises the IRES Programme and its achievements up to 2023:

IRES Programme 2023

IRES programme 2023

You can also watch three recent short case study videos that demonstrate show the impact that the IRES programme is having across the Edinburgh and South East Scotland region:

• Data Skills in Schools 

• The Housing, Construction and Infrastructure (HCI) Skills Gateway

• Women in Data

Celebrating in its tenth anniversary, the awards have been organised in partnership with the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. Created to celebrate the often-unsung contribution made to Scotland’s civic society by the public sector and its partners, last night’s ceremony once again showcased innovative and inspiring work from across the length and breadth of Scotland.

First Minister Humza Yousaf, offered his congratulations and gratitude to the nominees and the work of all those within the wider public service in a message reading:

“The annual awards are an opportunity to come together and celebrate the achievements of those working with and within our cherished public services. Every finalist tonight has made an incredible contribution to Scottish society and it’s right the difference you make in your communities is recognised. On behalf of Scotland, I want to say a sincere thank you.”

IRES Project Team (left to right) Graeme Rigg,, Adam Dunkerley, Nicola Raine

Gateway to Success

The Data-Driven Innovation Skills Gateway was a finalist at this year’s Digital Leaders 100 awards.

The Skills Gateway made it into the final three for Digital Skills Initiative of the Year, out of hundreds of entries from across the UK. With over 700 nominations, judges recognised the Skills Gateway‘s innovative and cross-sector approach to improving data skills as a key component of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s skills and employability programme.

The growth of Scotland’s technology ecosystem and changing world of work has led to a rapid increase in demand for workers with appropriate data skills. The Scottish Futures Institute estimates that 175,000 new digital jobs alone will have been generated in Scotland by 2030, with 37,000 of those based in Edinburgh. Yet, around 60% of digital organisations in Southeast Scotland say limited supply of talent is their biggest challenge.

Alison Muckersie, Programme Lead for the DDI Skills Gateway, commented: “The DDI Skills Gateway set out to be innovative and inclusive, but we have also learnt the importance of being responsive. We are all about ensuring that our citizens are well equipped to recognise and understand the opportunity provided by the data revolution – regardless of their gender, background or location – and that they are given options and support to develop the wide-ranging data literacy skills which we will all need.”

The Skills Gateway is tackling digital skills shortages by growing the data skills of the region’s citizens, and helps to deliver targeted activities in local schools, colleges, universities and across employability and work settings. The team has already developed the first school-based data science qualification in Britain, is offering a wider range of data training at all levels and can provide individuals and organisations with grants to be used for upskilling activities.

www.ESESCommunities.org

A new website is being launched to encourage links between good causes and businesses across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Borders. Funded by the £1.3bn Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal, the ESESCommunities.org portal will allow charities in the region to make community benefit requests of businesses in the supply chain of City Deal projects.

The Deal is a joint investment between both the UK and Scottish Governments.

Community benefits are mandatory clauses in the awarding of most public contracts. Examples include businesses committing to apprenticeships, engagement with schools and using local supply chains. It is hoped the new site can extend support to groups focusing on recreation, wellbeing, the environment and social enterprises.

Major projects supported by the City Deal include cutting edge new research and innovation facilities at the Universities of Edinburgh, Heriot Watt and Queen Margaret – as well as developing 41,000 new homes and improving transport links across the 6 local authority areas. The Deal will also deliver new industrial estate units across Fife and the Scottish Borders to support local businesses and create jobs.

Claire Pattullo, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise Edinburgh and Chair of the Regional Enterprise Council stated: “Community benefits can help people and communities to understand how they can positively benefit from public spending. There are already many examples within the third sector across the region which show how people and places have gained additional support through local developments. I would encourage all community groups to visit the ESESCommuities.org portal to find out how they can register their request.”

One project within the Deal will see the University of Edinburgh transform the historic old Royal Infirmary at Lauriston to house the Edinburgh Futures Institute – a major new centre for teaching, research and digital driven innovation (DDI). Commencing £70million of work on the project, construction firm Balfour Beatty have already set about delivering community benefits.

Naila Akram, Head of Social Impact for Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “At Balfour Beatty, we want to leave a lasting, positive legacy for communities, wherever we operate. We welcome the introduction of Edinburgh City and South Region City Deal's forward-thinking portal, which will further streamline our community benefit offer and deliver what local communities want and need.

"We look forward to utilising this new resource across our breadth of projects in the City of Edinburgh; maximising opportunities for all."

Led by Capital City Partnership and created by Fife-based web development firm Horisk Leslie, the site will also host updates on City Deal projects. The portal will be open to all businesses within the region interested in supporting communities, regardless of they are currently in the public sector supply chain or unfamiliar with community benefits.

For more information, visit www.ESESCommunities.org, call 0131 376 1846 or email info@ESESCommunities.org.

City Region Deal Project Provides Vital Support to Fife Families Throughout Pandemic

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s Intensive Family Support Service is helping families in areas affected by low employment levels and higher poverty rates cope with the Covid-19 crisis.  The pandemic has created new challenges and worsened existing issues such as food insecurity, poor mental health and low income. These barriers create further disadvantage for children and young people. This means support is needed now, more than ever.

In Fife, ‘Making it Work’ for Families is being delivered to support vulnerable families with S1/S2 pupils living at home. Fife Gingerbread and partners provide holistic family support to lone parent and low-income families. Developed ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has been adapted so that it’s delivered safely and effectively.

Laura Millar, Fife Gingerbread, said: “Problems beyond the classroom affect the ability of children and young people to be in school and ready to learn. Working with families is the most effective way to make real, positive change. The programme has been re-introduced at a challenging time for lone parents and families in need. It is a privilege to get to know families and provide support that we hope can be a catalyst for change. There is an opportunity to work across the City Region and continuously improve our approach to deliver the best possible support.”

One in five children live in poverty across Fife, but this rises to almost one in three in some places1. ‘Making it Work for Families’ is focused where child poverty issues are most widespread, starting with families connected to Levenmouth Academy and Viewforth High School.

Fife Gingerbread, Citizens Advice & Rights Fife, Clued Up and Fife’s Intensive Rehabilitation & Substance Misuse team are working together to provide support to meet the needs of families, including: 

• Emotional support for parents/carers through 1-1 support

• Support for young people focused on wellbeing and personal development

• Financial inclusion activities, income maximisation, housing support and budgeting

• Crisis interventions to ensure families are safe, warm and fed

• Training such as confidence building, cooking and career development

• Connecting families to job opportunities across the City Region.

Fife Council Co-Leader David Ross said: “The Intensive Family Support Service within the City Region Deal is a great opportunity to bring together a wealth of expertise and approaches across Edinburgh and South East Scotland to improve the lives and opportunities for our region’s families.”

Fife Council Co-Leader David Alexander added: “The Intensive Family Support Service’s ‘Making it Work for families’ programme has adapted to provide vital support to vulnerable families during lockdown and help end disadvantage. By reaching out to families most in need of support and helping pupils attend school Fife’s children and young people can make the most of their education.”

Over recent weeks and months most support has been delivered online, with families supported to overcome digital exclusion barriers.

Bridging the gap between school and home life
One Fife family was referred by a high school during the first lockdown in 2020. The young person in the household was having difficulties engaging with and attending school, and had not been participating during school closures.

During an initial home visit the 39-year old lone parent revealed health conditions that were impacting on the family. Family relationships were often strained, and this was something the parent wanted to improve on.  After that, weekly contact via phone or video calls provided essential emotional support. This support was tailored to the individual, with a combination of texting, messaging and video calls.

The family was struggling on a limited budget - so providing a financial review and practical advice supported the family and relieved a great deal of  financial strain.

As well as practical support – making sure the young person, aged 14, had a device to engage with online learning during lockdown – a focus was  on reducing feelings of isolation during lockdown. A dedicated youth worker supported them with their mental health, confidence, self-esteem, emotions and helping them achieve their aspirations through a trusting and non-judgmental environment.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the young person and their worker met on a weekly basis to go for a walk. Changes were put in place to encourage positive thinking and school attainment. This has included video chat to support the young person with home learning challenges whilst not in school. 

During this second lockdown the family continues to receive support through mental health services and financial and budgeting advice to achieve greater financial stability. The young person continues to get help in building their confidence and aspirations and is now engaging well with school and is much more positive about their future.

Contact Information

Jenny Murray

Communications

Fife Council

03451 55 55 55 ext. 44 26 06

Jenny.Murray-crm@fife.gov.uk