While we typically perform better than most of our UK neighbours when it comes to jobless totals, a remarkable statistic has caught my eye, and the solution may solve some of our unemployment issues.
A study by business consultancy and training organisation Flexibility Works, which is part-funded and supported by the Scottish Government, reckons nearly a third of our jobless population could find work if there were more opportunities which offered flexible working.
Their research suggests 25,000 unemployed Scots could have a job if flexible working was part of the package – this represents 28 per cent of the estimated 89,700 adults in Scotland jobless and looking for work.
Flexibility Works breaks this down further, revealing almost half of those surveyed were put off even applying for a job because flexible working was not offered.
When it comes to parents, a lack of flexible working seems to be posing a barrier for entry into the labour market for a significant number.
Some 42 per cent of unemployed parents surveyed said a lack of flexibility around their children was the biggest barrier to getting a job, with 45 per cent saying it is difficult finding information about flexible working.
And, interestingly, while two-thirds of Scots enjoy flexible working; only one-third of current job adverts mention the perk.
So, I must ask, why is this? What’s changed and how should we respond to these findings as a business community and as a society?
Flexibility Works’ recommendation, naturally, is for employers to provide more flexible working opportunities where possible and to promote the existing roles they have during the recruitment process.
Of course, not all businesses will be able to accommodate such ways of working due to the nature of their work, but it feels remiss not to talk up the benefits of having some 25,000 additional people in the labour market injecting some much needed life into our economy.
Times have changed drastically, largely because of the necessity for home-working during the Covid pandemic.
Since the virus’ outbreak in 2020, life has slowly returned to ‘normal’, but businesses subsequently have gone in many different directions.
Some have returned to full-time on-site or in the office, others have workers completely remote still, while many work on a hybrid model which mixes both approaches.
At this stage, I don’t think we’ll ever go back to the way things were with the vast majority of the working population turning up to the same place Monday to Friday 9-5. While I personally believe this arrangement offers valuable collaboration and networking opportunities – as I noted in my last column – this survey demonstrates that more flexible working arrangements could significantly benefit our nations health when implemented appropriately.
And I don’t just mean economic health, which of course would be hugely boosted with 25,000 extra people with money to spend in our vital leisure economies for example, I also mean the physical and mental health, not to mention wellbeing benefits.
Keeping up with other nations and ensuring Scots have a fulfilling working life which makes sense for them is how we must change as a society to ensure optimum productivity, happiness and harmony.
It’s no longer a one size fits all approach, and businesses are at the heart of the solution to that, if provided the right support.
The Scottish Government must pitch in to help business leaders make this become a feasible reality. We can’t afford to be stagnant as our economy and daily life continues to evolve and change at lightning speed.
For me, if it’s not already, ensuring better social and economic outcomes for our citizens should be of paramount importance to Scottish leaders as it can have a seismic knock-on effect, particularly for business and economic growth.
Thankfully, it appears Holyrood are listening and taking note of groups like Flexibility Works who are shining a spotlight on alternative areas where our nation can improve together.
When it comes down to it, for me it’s simple, happy and productive employees equals businesses in rude health and, ultimately, that benefits everyone.
SIDE – 243 words
I believe one of the marks of a good entrepreneur is the ability to look past what’s in front of them and see what it could be.
On Strathtay Road in Perth, there is a former abattoir that’s been sitting unused for years.
It’s a sizeable site in a well-connected location, but until now no plan has quite managed to make it work.
At SRA Ventures, I’ve learned that neglected spaces often hold the biggest potential, if you can match the right idea to the location. Our proposal for Scotland’s first modular self-storage park on the site of the abattoir is designed to do exactly that.
It’s a low-impact, design-led solution that addresses the community’s needs without creating the traffic or disruption that sank earlier proposals.
The modular units are insulated with aerogel – a material developed for NASA – and aim to offer secure, automated access without the need for permanent staff.
It will be quiet, efficient and a far better use of the land than leaving it underused.
We’re confident this approach will not only solve a long-standing challenge for the site, but also provide a genuinely useful service for local households, trades and businesses.
The truth is, Scotland is full of buildings that have outlived their original purpose but could thrive with the right creative approach.
But when you apply innovation to commercial property, you can take something unwanted and turn it into a long-term asset for both businesses and the community.
LAUGH – 124 words
In the spirit of making use of materials often overlooked, a Montrose distillery is helping us think twice about the unassuming fungi growing in many a corner.
Turns out, whisky by-products plus mycelium – or the underground network of mushroom roots, to you and me – can be spun into compostable, fire-proof packaging.
And what’s more, the clever business brains at Arbikie Distillery have found that same waste can power a sustainable packaging line, cutting plastics and cleaning up operations.
It’s proof that something unassuming like fungi can deliver real value when you’re willing to look deeper.
In short, when life gives you whisky sludge and a fungus that doesn’t get enough credit, you make compostable packaging – and save a tree or two in the process.
WEEP – 119 words
Another week, another warning from Scotland’s hospitality sector.
This time, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association has revealed that more than half of pubs, clubs and restaurants think business will get worse this year, with around 14 per cent expecting to close before the end of 2025.
It’s a frightening stat for an industry that’s already been through the wringer.
Costs keep climbing, customers are spending less and rates relief only goes so far. For many, survival now means cutting staff, shortening hours or shutting the doors altogether.
Hospitality is a major employer and a driver of local economies. If we want to keep it alive, government and councils need to act fast, because good intentions won’t pay the bills.
