Examination of Witnesses (Questions 518-519)
MS HAZEL MATHIESON, MS KATIE HUTTON MR KEVIN SWEENEY
14 MAY 2008
Q518 Chairman: Good afternoon and we welcome today's witnesses for our session on employment and skills for defence in Scotland. Can you please introduce yourselves for the record.
Ms Mathieson: I am Hazel Mathieson. I am the Regional Director, Skills Interventions for the East of Scotland, for Skills Development Scotland.
Ms Hutton: I am Katie Hutton and I am Head of Operations for the Skills Interventions Team for Skills Development Scotland.
Mr Sweeney: I am Kevin Sweeney. I am the Deputy Headteacher at Govan High School in Glasgow.
Q519 Chairman: Before we start on the detailed questions, would you like to make any opening statement? I would like to take this opportunity to say that we appreciate the evidence and statement from Govan High School and our other witnesses to the Committee. Would anyone like to make an opening statement?
Ms Mathieson: I think I would just like to thank you for the opportunity for us to come here and present to you today. Myself and Katie both work for Skills Development Scotland which is a very new organisation. We came into existence on 1 April this year and we are a new organisation that combines the functions of three previous organisations, which were the Scottish University for Industry, Careers Scotland and the learning and skills functions of both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The key role for our organisation is the implementation of the Scottish Skills Strategy, Skills for Scotland, which was published in the autumn of last year. We are aiming to deliver an integrated service of careers information, guidance, skills advice, brokering and training to individuals and businesses alike, but, probably more important, we are seen as a catalyst, the new organisation is a catalyst to try and bring a real focus for the delivery of skills and learning in Scotland and to bring all the organisations together which are delivering skills and learning in Scotland and focus us all.
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