“We want to create more opportunities for people to have rewarding jobs with us and to benefit from the extensive opportunities that we can offer.”

These were the words of Argyll and Bute Council Leader, Councillor Aileen Morton, talking about the council’s new Strategic Workforce Plan.

The plan sets out the direction for the council’s workforce of the future and identifies its priorities for the next four years.

Councillor Morton said: “We have loyal, committed staff who work hard and do a great job for our communities each and every day. However, we have so many opportunities for more people to come and work with us and to develop their careers at the council.

“Whether it’s a young person who’s just left school, someone looking for a career change, or someone wanting to relocate to our stunning part of the world, we have a number of opportunities available and can offer a range of benefits. We want our workforce to reflect a balance of younger and older employees. Argyll and Bute Council is an employer for life and offers great terms and conditions, competitive rates of pay,relocation packages, and a good pension scheme. We also offer a huge range of training to both new and existing staff.

“We provide flexible working options and our employees have told us that, above all, they value the location that they work in and their flexibility and work life balance. These are positive attributes for us to promote as an employer to attract and to retain employees.

“The Strategic Workforce Plan will help us to ensure that we have the confident and professional staff required to meet our future needs and tomake Argyll and Bute a place people choose to live and work.”

The council often experiences difficulties recruiting staff for specific professional posts, such as teaching, engineering, social work and planning. This strategy aims to address this through the council’s successful Talent Management and Growing Our Own schemes.

These schemes reach out to young people in schools, providing them with advice and information on future jobs and careers with the Council. Growing Our Own has developed a comprehensive training programme and offers a wide range of apprenticeships, with 37 places having already been provided since it began, and 11 currently in post. An accredited SVQ training centre has also been established to deliver SVQs and other accredited training to employees.

Since 2015, the council has also been working in partnership with Argyll College to offer a post-graduate Diploma in Teaching. Since the programme started, 21 people have registered as teachers in the area.

Councillor Morton said: “Local government is going through many changes and we need to ensure that we continue to have staff that are resilient, skilled, caring and committed to meet these challenges.

“I am confident that the Strategic Workforce Plan will pave the way forward for the future of Argyll and Bute’s workforce and we will continue to work closely with our partners to develop the council as an employer of choice.”

To view the strategy, visit: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/council-and-government/plans-policies-and-key-documents