The Prospect project (part funded by the European Social Fund) is strategically led by Scotland’s Colleges and managed operationally by Adam Smith College in partnership with, Angus College, Stevenson College, Reid Kerr College, Elmwood College and West Lothian College.

The key objective is to build on previous successful workforce development interventions by mitigating the impacts of the recession. Specifically, it aims to assist employers to keep people in employment and prepare companies for the prospective upturn. Target groups include:

  • Employees at threat of redundancy

  • Employees who are low skilled and low paid including those with low levels of literacy and numeracy

  • Potential and new entrepreneurs/managers of both new and existing SMEs

Target Groups

  • Employees at threat of redundancy (including Modern Apprentices)

  • Employees recently made redundant requiring retraining

  • Employees who have low skills and are low paid, including those having low levels of literacy or numeracy

  • Potential and new entrepreneurs/managers of both new and existing SMEs (with particular focus on targeting women)

Target actions for companies in difficulty include:

  • Up-skilling individuals who have had to take on additional job roles

  • Bite sized learning which is bespoke to the needs of the business

  • Delivery in or as close to the workplace as possible to ensure employers are not having additional costs to cover employees participating in activities

  • Learning outcomes that are transferable from one business to another to ensure individuals do not have to repeat education and training

  • Learning to support the growth and/or diversification of the business

  • Skills matching across and between sectors

  • Support to take on new entrants

  • Continuing to train staff while taking advantage of training during short working hours

  • Encouraging businesses unwilling to release staff from the workplace for training, to understand the benefits of training; and support employers those with low skills, delivering the training businesses want in the way they want it

  • Enabling more joined up planning of learning provision leading to increased efficiency and costs effectiveness in meeting employer requirements