Join us for an exclusive webinar to explore how The Open University (OU) can support your organisation to develop your staff and volunteers via the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, which is supported by the Scottish Government via the Scottish Funding Council.

For the second year running, SMEs (organisations with less than 250 employees) across Scotland can access training up to the value of £5,000. This could help your business to future-proof your talent pool. Our recent Business Barometer report published in 2021, found that almost two thirds (62%) of organisations in Scotland are struggling to recruit the skills they need, with 61% saying they think the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation.

This ongoing skills crisis has a big impact on employers and their employees. According to the survey, more than half (52%) of Scottish employers think their workforce is overextended because of unfilled vacancies. This indicates that the lack of available talent stifles the potential growth of businesses and could be having a negative impact on employee wellbeing.

As a result, business leaders increasingly recognise that it is incumbent on them to proactively address the situation, rather than taking the short-term approach of hiring talent – or trying to hire talent – when the need arises. Flexible, high quality training such as that offered by the OU helps to build a strong internal talent pipeline, and the Flexible Workforce Development Fund provides the ideal opportunity to get started.

If you are ready to find out how to take advantage, register for our webinar on Tuesday 1st February, 10:00-11:00am where we will be sharing recent case studies and reflections on the trends from the previous year, as well as information on:

• Funding and eligibility

• Benefits to employers and employees

• The range of training available

• How to apply