REP's Six Themes

THEME PRIORITIES:

• Enabling access to skills, training & employment
• Attracting & Retaining People with a Diversity of Skills, Ambition & Knowledge
• Preparing for the Future of Work
• Building Lifelong Learning & Opportunity

The actions will build upon work undertaken through partnership since 2019 to develop and deliver a Regional Skills Investment Plan (RSIP) for the South of Scotland. 

This includes:

• improving access to education, skills and training across the region
• better meeting the skills needs of employers
• supporting growth and development of the workforce
• focusing on supporting education and skills opportunities for young people
• creating a culture of enterprise and innovation and ensuring that the skills system is ‘future proofed’ to adapt to changing circumstances.

A new South of Scotland Education and Skills Group has been established as a subgroup of the Regional Economic Partnership to take these RSIP activities forward. This group also serves as a key link into national work of relevance to the region and will also deliver the Skilled and Ambitious People actions the Regional Economic Strategy has given rise to. 

THEME PRIORITIES:

• Embracing Research & Innovation
• Enhancing Business Support Services
• Activating Networks & Business Interaction
• Creating Flexible & Accessible Workspaces

We recognise that across the South of Scotland, a great network of organisations supporting businesses, social enterprises and community organisations already exists, all of which provide invaluable expertise, knowledge and experience which complements the public sector offer and which effectively advocate for their needs. Our focus under this theme is to help support, develop and enhance connections between these organisations, from a position of a strong foundation. 

THEME PRIORITIES: 

• Growing & Diversifying Our Economy
• Attracting & Securing New Investment
• Improving Productivity & Competitiveness
• Securing and Improving Fair Working Conditions & Wages

We will create and invest in employers that offer jobs that generate localised wealth, pay a fair wage, offer decent conditions, flexibility, diversity and long-term career structures for young people. This will lead to employee happiness and contentment, which will ultimately contribute to reducing poverty and deprivation.  
We know from engagement with those businesses and social enterprises already here, that the South of Scotland is a great place to do business – testament to which is their continued investment. We know however that we need to shout louder about this and better promote our offer to attract others – in response to which we are already working harder and more collaboratively than ever before to do so, in parallel to supporting those already here too. 

THEME PRIORITIES: 

• Celebrating & Enabling Creativity
• Championing a New Regional Identity
• Investing in Visitor Economy Infrastructure
• Boosting Culture & Heritage Assets

This theme builds on our region’s distinct culture and sense of place, shaped by centuries of history, heritage and landmark events. We are a region blessed with a strong and growing base of creative and cultural businesses, social enterprises and organisations, which, with the right support, can make an even more significant contribution to developing the region’s economic, social and environmental ambitions. 

THEME PRIORITIES:

• Harnessing & Enhancing Natural Capital
• Seizing the Economic Opportunity of a Just Transition to Net Zero
• Improving Efficiency of Homes & Buildings
• Supporting Community Wealth Building and Growing Regional Supply Chains

Natural capital in relation to land, water, nature, farming, landscape, forestry and woodland is a major strength and opportunity in the South of Scotland. The area is taking forward a Regional Land Use Pilot which will help develop new and innovative, clean rural land management practices and proposals. The region will also benefit from the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal Natural Capital Programme which supports five key pilot projects. In addition, both local authorities have Climate Change Action Plans that they are taking forward; projects will be identified through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal Energy Master Plan.  

THEME PRIORITIES: 

• Revitalising Towns and Rural Communities 
• Creating and Sustaining High Quality, Affordable Homes
• Enhancing Digital & Transport Connections
• Activating & Empowering Communities, the Third Sector and Social Enterprise

Vibrant places and communities are vital to the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of the South of Scotland. Efforts to support and transform places and communities will include the implementation of the Borderlands Place programme, and the ongoing development of a wide variety of place initiatives being carried out by the local authorities, SOSE, communities, businesses, social enterprises and the Third Sector.