Scotland launches £2M fund to prepare Highlands workforce for £100B investment wave
What's the deal? Skills Development ScotlandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has launched the Workforce North Co-Investment Fund, a £2 million pilot to help employers across the Highlands and Islands recruit, retain, and develop staff. Applications for the first round are open until October 30, 2026, administered by The Highland CouncilDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → on behalf of the region.
Why now? The region is bracing for what is expected to be more than £100 billion of investment over the next decade, much of it in renewable energy and construction. Partners say the area must have the people and skills ready to capitalise.
What's the endgame? The fund backs projects tackling skills shortages, strengthening workforce pipelines, and creating new opportunities. Funding covers initiatives linked to apprenticeships, skills development, innovation, and other shared workforce challenges.
It is part of Workforce North, a partnership bringing together employers, local authorities, education providers, and government agencies.
Scottish GovernmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Business and Fair Work Minister Tom Arthur said the pilot "will help employers respond to current workforce challenges while preparing for the opportunities being created by major investment across the Highlands and Islands."
Highland Council Convener Bill Lobban framed it as a tool against depopulation, saying that "by investing in local talent and creating more opportunities for people to build their careers here, we can help tackle population decline."
The signal: The fund ties public skills money directly to a looming private investment boom — betting that the region's economic windfall will only land if local workers are ready to fill the jobs.
Read more: inverness-chamber.co.uk
Image credit: Christopher Combe Photography
