The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Batho as its new Chief Executive. Mark has a strong background in education and social inclusion and is currently Director of Lifelong Learning at the Scottish Government. He was previously Head of the Social Justice Group at the Scottish Government.

In welcoming Mark to his new position at the Council, its Chair John McClelland said "Mark takes over a key role within Scotland at an important time. His past experience in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and his detailed understanding of the sectors will be valuable attributes in supporting his leadership of the Council's future progress."

His appointment is effective from 1 September 2008. More.

Work Experience Toolkit has been developed by Energy & Utility Skills to assist in the organisation and delivery of a structured work experience placement in the electricity industry. Whether you are an organiser of work experience in a school or college, an employer offering a placement on your premises or a student about to experience the world of work for the first time, this CD will provide information and advice on how to make the most of the experience. More.

Did you know that the gross weekly earnings for Justice Sector workers are 50% higher than for the economy as a whole? Thanks to the development of an innovative online matrix by Skills for Justice, which contains Labour Market Information and Intelligence (LMII), organisations in the Justice Sector can now gain a greater understanding of the labour market in which they operate.

The data is available for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is also collated for the whole of the UK. It provides employers within the Justice Sector with the opportunity to benchmark their data with other similar organisations. More.

After unprecedented growth over the past year, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Executive Board has decided to increase its Senior Operational Team and will commence recruitment of a Chief Operating Officer immediately. It is anticipated that the post will be filled with a commencement date of January 2009.

Chairman of the IMI's Executive Board and Aftersales Director of BMW Group UK, Steve Nash, said:
"The IMI became a Sector Skills Council just 11 months ago, taking over, where Automotive Skills left off. It has become very apparent that due to the large number of exciting and innovative projects taking place, all of which require an immense amount of operational planning against tight timescales and milestones that it is time to increase the senior team."

The Chief Operating Officer will complement the role of Chief Financial Officer, Allan Tyrer, who is also Company Secretary. Both posts will report to Sarah Sillars. More.

The Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) has announced the date of the Scotland's Colleges Practice and Innovation Conference 2008. The event will take place on 25 November 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The overall theme of the conference is to share and disseminate innovative practice to an audience of college staff and sector stakeholders. The aim of this conference is to bring together all those in Scotland's colleges who influence the learner experience and to explore this experience from the viewpoint of: the learner, the practitioner and the manager.More.

SQA is working closely with colleagues in the Scottish Government and key stakeholders to progress the development of the Scottish Baccalaureate. The Scottish Baccalaureate will be based on a coherent group of subjects at Higher and Advanced Higher level. This coherence will allow learners to build a significant body of knowledge, skills and qualifications in science or languages which will enhance progression opportunities in related disciplines to Further and Higher Education and to employment. More.

Kevin Mallon has recently joined Energy & Utility Skills as the Skills Manager for Scotland. Kevin has a wealth of experience in the FE sector both as a Lecturer and Manager in the areas of marketing, business development, funding, employer engagement and workforce development. He also worked at the STUC supporting lifelong learning and everyday skills initiatives and was a member of the SQA Advisory Council. Prior to joining EU Skills, Kevin was Manager at the Wider Access Forum based at the University of the West of Scotland. In his new post Kevin will work closely with and support the work of the Skills Director for Scotland.

e-skills UK is seeking feedback on the revisions proposed for the National Occupational Standards (NOS) relating to Users of Information Technology. These revisions are based on the invaluable input received so far through the consultation website and initial consultation events last November. To participate, click here.  

Investment of £232,761 has been announced today to support international students wishing to remain and work in Scotland following completion of their studies. Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture Linda Fabiani announced the new funding which will support 16 projects in nine universities and colleges across Scotland helping to retain valuable skills for our labour market and contributing towards growing Scotland's economy. More