Graduate sought to explore young people’s place at the funding table

Are you a recent graduate with a passion for inclusivity and empowering young people?

Orkney, Outer Hebrides and Shetland have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural Communities Testing Change (RCTC) for a project to look at how young people can play an active part in future funding schemes which may evolve after the LEADER programme winds up at the end of this year.

The project was put forward for funding jointly by the three LEADER Local Action Groups, or ‘LAGs’ – the bodies set up to consider and award LEADER funding to community-led projects in their respective areas over the past seven years.

It’s hoped to explore the concept of creating ‘Youth Local Action Groups’, mirroring the highly successful LEADER LAGs, and set out their potential as a sustainable model that can be replicated across Scotland within other future government and non-government funding schemes.

Whilst the proposal is to be delivered in co-operation between the three islands groups, the Outer Hebrides LAG is the primary contact for interested graduates.

Graduates will work under the project’s consultant coordinator and preferably be based in each island area, though this is negotiable based on knowledge of the local area. Positions are on self-employed, consultancy basis and are fixed term until March 2022 and are financed by the Scottish Governments Rural Communities Testing Change Fund.

LEADER Development Officer for Orkney Islands Council, Alison Barclay, said: “These graduate positions are a fantastic opportunity for a suitably qualified person to gain relevant and significant working experience in the truly rewarding area of community-led development, with an added taster of youth inclusion.”

The LEADER and EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Communities Fund) 2014-2020 Programmes have supported over 150 unique community-led projects across the three island areas – with applications assessed by local LAG made up of community members and business people, and administered through the local Councils.

In Orkney, LEADER have supported projects to the combined value of over £2.5M and EMFF (FLAG) about £0.5M from 2014-2021.

For further details about the graduate posts, including help to access the contract details on the Public Contracts Scotland website, contact outerhebridesleader@cne-siar.gov.uk or phone 01851 600 501. Tenders must be returned by 12 November, so don’t delay getting in contact if you are interested in applying.

LEADER (Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l'Economie Rurale - links between actions for the development of the rural economy) is part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme, which funds economic, environmental and social measures for the benefit of rural Scotland.

LEADER is a bottom-up method of delivering support for rural development, aimed at increasing the capacity of the local rural community and business networks by building knowledge and skills, encouraging innovation and co-operation, and attempting to tackle local development objectives.

Funded by the European Union and Scottish Government, the 2014 - 2020 LEADER Programme was delivered in Scotland by 21 Local Action Groups implementing Local Development Strategies for their area.