Highland Council opens £2M fund to build workforce for £100B investment wave
What's the deal? The £2 million Workforce North Co-Investment Fund opened for applications on September 1, 2026, offering employers across the Highlands and Islands support to recruit, train, and develop skilled workers. The Highland CouncilDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → contributed £1.2 million to the seed fund, which is delivered through Workforce North and Skills Development ScotlandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
Why now? The Highlands and Islands region is expecting roughly £100 billion in investment over the next 15 years, concentrated in renewable energy, construction, and infrastructure. The fund aims to ensure local businesses have the talent to capture that opportunity.
What's the endgame? By pooling public and private capital, the fund targets employer-led workforce development in sectors set for growth: net zero and renewable energy, construction and the built environment, digital and data skills, and STEM career pathways.
It runs across three streams. Grow backs immediate training, upskilling, and apprenticeship recruitment; Innovate tests new approaches to skills challenges; and Accelerate expands successful models across the region.
Who can apply? The fund is open to employers across the Highlands and Islands, including micro businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, supply chain firms supporting major projects, and local authority services. Funds can go toward upskilling staff, reskilling workers for new roles, supporting people into work, and recruiting Modern Apprentices.
Councillor Raymond Bremner, leader of the Highland Council, said the region is "entering a period of significant economic opportunity." He added that the council, as lead partner and accountable body, is "committed to helping businesses access the skills they need."
Convener Councillor Bill Lobban framed the fund as a tool against depopulation, saying it will "create opportunities for people to live, work and study in the Highlands."
The signal: Public money is increasingly being used to prime workforce pipelines ahead of large-scale private investment, particularly in renewables-heavy regions. For the Highlands, the bet is that closing skills gaps now determines how much of a £100 billion boom actually stays local.
Read more: highland.gov.uk
