Move to bring talent to Moray
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A GOVERNMENT agency has hired a new leader focused on bringing in talent such as teachers and doctors to narrow Moray's skills gap.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) created the new post – senior development manager for talent attraction. Rona Campbell has now stepped into the role to promote the benefits of Moray for sectors finding it most difficult to attract skilled workers – such as healthcare and schools.
Recruitment challenges have posed real problems for businesses and services in the area.
In education, Moray Council is predicted to have another 300 pupils on the rolls by 2020/21, exacerbating the area's teacher shortage crisis.
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead this week met Ms Campbell and HIE’s Moray area manager, Donna Chisholm, at their Forres office to discuss the area's recruitment challenges and how agencies can work together to attract key workers.
Mr Lochhead said: "I’m delighted that HIE has appointed a senior development manager to focus on talent attraction in Moray and that we now have this vital new post – the first of its kind – up and running in Moray.
"I know from speaking to local businesses and public sector organisations that it can be challenging sometimes to attract key skilled workers, such as teachers and doctors, to live and work in more northern areas.
"That’s why I pushed hard for a few years for a post like this to be created given the well-documented recruitment problems we’ve had in both the public and private sector recently.
"I was pleased to meet with Rona and hear about HIE’s determination to work with local firms and the public sector and I strongly encourage everyone affected by skills shortages to engage with HIE to make the most of this new resource."
Ms Chisholm said: "We’re delighted to have Rona join the Moray team. A huge part of this role is collaboration, particularly between ourselves and Moray Council, but also with others such as the Ministry of Defence who have a big presence here.
"The overall population in Moray is growing – which is good as it means there is also a real opportunity to better match talented people to local vacancies."
