Pressure on skills development quango to prove its worth

Published on Thursday 24 February 2011 15:29

SKILLS Development Scotland will come under pressure to prove its worth this week when a group of MSPs calls on the quango to demonstrate what it has achieved since it was set up three years ago.

It is understood that the Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee will call on the agency to step up its activities when it publishes the findings of an inquiry into the efficiency of Scotland's enterprise network tomorrow.

Insiders say MSPs are concerned about what the public body has achieved since it was formed in 2008 by amalgamation of parts of various bodies.

In its evidence to the inquiry, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce implied that Skills Development Scotland is yet to effect real change in the delivery of vital training and careers services in Scotland.

"SCC welcomes the creation of a single entity under an umbrella organisation to enable a coherent management of this important portfolio," the business group said. But it added: "We believe the large-scale benefits of this approach are yet to be delivered."

The inquiry also examined whether it was an effective use of public funds to have two development agencies in Scotland - SE and HIE. But the committee is not expected to propose a merger after business groups argued that the agencies performed different but equally important roles.

However, the MSPs will press the two organisations to better focus their activities as they face reductions in government funding.

Colin Borland, head of the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland, said the agencies need to knuckle down and get on with delivering effective services.

But he added: "Please God, let's not have another major reorganisation. We had one in 2007 and people are still trying to find their way around it. We don't need another one that can paralyse us again."