Page 138 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

(c) provide information, advice and guidance, including career and learning
choices, to people of all ages;
(d) provide support and funding to individuals for learning and skills
development;
(e) advance and provide training programmes to build employability skills and to
provide information and support to employers to develop the skills of
employees;
(f) promote and assist local lifelong learning opportunities and the local
development of skills;
(g) foster collaborative partnerships in lifelong learning and skills development;
(h) promote and deliver equality of access and opportunity in service delivery
and the wider lifelong learning landscape.
Approximately 1 370 staff are employed to deliver the above services.
Initiated in March 2000, PACE is a national strategic framework in Scotland
that aids a partnership approach for responding to redundancy. Its website
indicates that: ‘PACE ensures local and national public sector agencies respond
to potential and proposed redundancies as quickly, effectively and consistently as
possible’. The composition of individual PACE partnerships ( ) varies to meet the
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needs of local employers and their employees. PACE support is tailored to meet
individual needs and may include:
(a) identification of future career and training options and the steps needed to
achieve them;
(b) government-funded training support to improve skills and increase the
chances of finding work;
(c) information about state benefits and support in accessing them;
(d) business start-up information and support;
(e) job vacancy information;
(f) employability support covering job search, CV and application form
completion, and interview technique preparation.
In light of the current economic climate, the Scottish Government has been
reviewing the range of services offered by PACE, including a national helpline, a
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revamped website ( ) and improved information resources. Among the resource
materials available is an award-winning resource guide Positive Steps to your

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( ) PACE teams involve local and national agencies, including Skills Development Scotland,
Jobcentre Plus, Scottish Enterprise, local authorities, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the
Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and its affiliated trades unions, Citizens Advice,
further education colleges, local training providers and universities, chambers of commerce,
Federation of Small Business (FSB), Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS),
Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and the alliance
of sector skills councils (SSCs).
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( ) See: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/redundancy [cited 7.5.2010].

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