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Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture has today announced new Scottish Government investment in jobs and digital technology. The move is designed to support a strong economic recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.

As part of the announcement, the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, which helps employers to upskill and reskill their existing workforce, will be increased from £10 million to £20 million for 2020/21. As a result, an initial £13 million will be available immediately through colleges who will continue to expand their current support for employers.

The Scottish Government will work with businesses, the Scottish Funding Council and other partners to ensure that the further £7 million of Flexible Workforce Development Funding can effectively expand the opportunities for business to engage with the scheme.

Elsewhere, the Cabinet Secretary announced a further £1.5 million for Business Gateway’s Digital Boost programme – almost trebling the capacity of the initiative for the remainder of this financial year.

Speaking about the investments, Ms Hyslop said:

“We are focussed on taking immediate action to support our economy as we look to rebuild after COVID-19 and by investing in jobs and digital technology we will create the foundations of a strong recovery for Scotland.

“Opportunities for training are essential for both employers and employees, so we have doubled funding for our Flexible Workforce Development Fund to £20 million for 2020/21.”

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