We will prioritise securing funding for economic and social development stimulus projects, such as the Employability Plan, to help strengthen Shetland’s economy and social infrastructures.
Delivering on this action, Economic Development prioritised the Employability Service in the Council’s allocation of funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF). The funding covers the period to March 2025 and has helped provide some certainty for this important project which, over the past three years, has helped 64 people in Shetland move into employment. Funding received through UK SPF has also been used to fund the introduction of a scheme to improve the sustainability of rural shops in Shetland, and to support the ambitions of UHI Shetland to introduce ‘green skills’ courses and programmes delivering on net zero aims.
The Council, acting on behalf of the Shetland Local Action Group has also secured funding through the Scottish Government’s Community Led Local Development programme, which in essence replaced the EU LEADER Programme. The Council has also prioritised the securing of funding for community projects through the Islands Programme, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, among others