Transport Scotland, Scotland’s national transport agency, is investing in skills and supporting young people, adults and businesses across the country.

With an active commitment to providing apprenticeship opportunities and helping employers develop workplace training standards through its procurement process, it has made community benefit a fundamental aspect of everything it does, building it in to every project from start to finish.

Procurements in financial year 2019/20 created more than 550 new entrant positions, around 100 apprenticeships, just under 140 graduate positions and over 120 work placements. Transport Scotland suppliers awarded 3,000 sub-contracts to local businesses and SMEs valued in excess of £210 million, and placed contracts and orders totalling more than £1.25 million.

That’s in addition to business engagement events hosted for Transport Scotland suppliers and service providers throughout 2019/20, which aimed to highlight the requirement for community benefits and supported businesses in all suitable procurements. These events also help forge connections between suppliers and supported businesses. This is not a new direction for the agency. It’s an embedded and ongoing commitment to offering benefits at local levels in everything it does.