Employability
Highland Employability Partnership (HEP)
Highland Employability Partnership (HEP)
Com-pàirteachas so-fhastachd na Gàidhealtachd
No One Left Behind (NOLB) aims to change the employability system in Scotland to make it more adaptable, responsive and person-centred. In Highland this will be delivered via the Highland Employability Partnership (HEP) and 3 sub-Highland Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) in North Highland, West Highland and the Inner Moray Firth.
The Highland Employability Partnership (HEP) was re-established in 2021. It is a multi-agency approach to ensure that partners work collaboratively to deliver employability services across the Highland Council area. Through collective leadership, the partners aim to develop shared objectives to service design which addresses the need of both clients and employers and embraces greater integration and alignment of resources in order to simplify and maximise opportunities.
Membership of the HEP is as follows:
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Developing the Young Workforce
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Highland Council
- Highlands & Islands Enterprise
- Highland Third Sector Interface
- Highland Third Sector Interface Employability Forum
- NHS Highland
- Skills Development Scotland
- University of the Highlands and Islands
The aim of the HEP is to work with individuals and employers to raise as many Highland residents as possible out of poverty through sustainable and fair work; supporting those who face multiple barriers into employment and enabling progression out of poverty for those who are already in work.
HEP 3-year Delivery Plan
The Highland Employability Partnership has produced a 3-year Delivery Plan which presents a strategic outline of the proposed employability priorities in Highland from 1April 2022 to 31 March 2025. The plan reflects the priorities of partners and their clients and will complement the statutory provision in place.
The 3-year Delivery Plan was originally approved by the HEP in August 2022, with a commitment to revise annually to reflect local need and changing social and economic circumstances.
The revised version of the 3-year Delivery Plan was approved by the HEP in April 2023 and contains the HEP Annual Operational Plan 2023/24 as Annex 1 and the HEP Annual Investment Plan 2023/24 as Annex 2.
An annual Operational Plan for 2022/23 is included as Annex 1 in the plan.
The HEP has also produced an Annual Report for financial year 2022/23 which gives an overview of the work undertaken by the partnership.