Moray SNP News

MORAY FRESH TALENT TASK FORCE TO BE FORMED

Calls by Richard Lochhead MSP for a Moray Fresh Talent Task Force to be set up to address issues at the heart of the key worker shortages in Moray have been answered by local public sector organisations.

Mr Lochhead wrote to NHS Grampian, The Moray Council, Skills Development Scotland and various organisations following the round table discussion he chaired on local staff shortages seeking their agreement to be part of a joint task force.

NHS Grampian, Moray Council, Skills Development Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, have all given the formation of a task force their backing and Moray’s MSP is urging those involved to get things in place as soon as possible.

Richard Lochhead MSP said:

“The challenges that Moray has faced recruiting teachers, doctors and other public sector workers are well publicised, and there’s no denying that vacancies have had a real impact on our local public services.

“When I brought the key public agencies together earlier this year to discuss what is causing some of these recruitment problems, it was clear that there were issues affecting all organisations, for example a lack of available housing for those moving into the area.

“It struck me that what Moray needed was for these public organisations to come together, to share resources and avoid duplication of work in their efforts to tackle this issue head on for the benefit of everyone in Moray.  Following that meeting, I wrote to those involved urging them to be part of a fresh talent task force to do exactly that and I’m really pleased that they’ve signed up to the creation of a task force and to working together to identify solutions.

“I hope that the task force can be established quickly and I will continue to work closely with all of our public sector agencies to do what I can to turn our recruitment difficulties around.”