Creating a skilled workforce that is job-ready

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  Almost half of Scotland’s population is on North Lanarkshire’s doorstep

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  74.7% of working age people (16-64) are economically active

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  Working age population of 219,178

Our workforce is a highly skilled one. We have people who are connected to employment and we support them to access jobs. Through our North Lanarkshire’s Working partnership, we have supported over 7,000 people into work over the last four years. We’re continuing to develop our people for tangible and real roles in the workforce through a wide range of support training and advice.

Crucially, we work closely with our businesses and key industry sectors to identify skills’ shortages and work with the private sector, further education and training facilities to match industry needs with skilled workers.

Our Lanarkshire Business Gateway service provides free advice and support to those thinking about setting up in business and those looking to sustain, grow or diversify their existing businesses.

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  94.2% of senior school pupils move to further or higher education, training or a job

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  Youth employment rate at 68.1%, significantly higher than the Scottish average of 55.9%

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  With partners, one of the biggest apprenticeship programmes in Scotland

We know this area and our people. Attracting new investment and supporting businesses and industry sectors to grow, improves the skills and employability of our people. We’re working hard to align our education curriculum to meet current and future business needs through programmes such as NL Academies.

Our schools ensure there’s a range of learning and support pathways for our young people, equipping them with skills for life and work as they move on to further or higher education, training or a job. We have a refreshed focus on vocational education and our secondary pupils benefit from an afternoon every week aligned to vocational, employability and wider development opportunities.

Smart Hub Lanarkshire in partnership with New College Lanarkshire and the University of Strathclyde, is a robotics and automation training facility providing dedicated space for manufacturing businesses to access business support and academic expertise that can unlock productivity processes. The Hub works with our local schools to excite and inspire our next generation of young people in an increasingly digital world.

Businesses in North Lanarkshire have grown by 13.8% in a decade