Weekly update, 20th June

Energy & Business Services:

• The MeyGen project in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth has reached another milestone, with Atlantis Resources reporting this week that Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution has connected the MeyGen project to the 33kv Ness of Quoys electricity distribution network. More information is at http://renews.biz/103116/meygen-tidal-powers-up/

Enabling activities:

• I was really pleased to be invited to the event held in Wick this week to recognise that Caithness is the first region in the UK to achieve World Host status. Caithness Chamber of Commerce has led this programme with support from CNSRP partners the NDA and Skills Development Scotland, and with the help of World Host trainer Ellie Lamont. it was good to have new VisitScotland Chairman Lord Thurso on hand to welcome the milestone. The event was also a chance to have a first look at the latest in the series of short films produced by Venture North, which was released this week with support from VisitScotland and the NDA. The “Venture North – Summer” film follows the superb “Winter” film, and provides further stunning footage of the area. The film was produced and edited by Thurso-based Storyboard Films, with aerial/ ground photography by Sinclair Aerial Surveys, Karen Munro and Ali Elder. http://www.venture-north.co.uk/discovery/ Venture North has also issued its latest blog, this time from Assynt-based Monika Strell. http://www.venture-north.co.uk/blog/venture-north-discovery-monika-strell
• This week saw the beginning of the process that will lead to the staging of the 2017 “Jobs and How to Get Them” event, which in 2017 will be held on Saturday 6^th February in the Engineering Technology and Energy Centre at North Highland College. The event has become widely-regarded as an excellent one-stop-shop for those interested in current and planned recruitment, as well as sources of advice and support. Local partners helping plan the event include Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, North Highland College, Department for Work & Pensions. Look out for initial information later this summer, and in the meantime the event’s Facebook page remains a good source of information. https://www.facebook.com/caithnessjobs/

Communications:

As part of an ongoing process of helping communicate progress with the delivery of aspects of our economic transition programme CNSRP’s partners work together to generate news stories for local, regional and national media. I also speak on a regular basis to individuals and organisations across the area to update on progress. This week:

• The CNSRP Advisory Board met this week, and myself and Simon Middlemas delivered the presentation on employment projections that we have recently been delivering to the Dounreay workforce. The meeting also heard updates on the projects on the CNSRP Programme, including the NDA Archive, the Beatrice Offshore Wind project, Talent Attraction, Inward Investment and Developing the Young Workforce.