PhD student, Kirsten Clarke has been undertaking a 3-month research placement with the Scottish Government. The resulting report from Kirsten’s work has now been published.
“Transferable skills in land-based and aquaculture sectors: review provides an overview of research undertaken to identify transferable skills within Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors. The research was conducted in response to Recommendation 12 from the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review (2023), which called for the identification of key transferable skills required across various job roles within these sectors.
Transferable skills are skills that enable workers to perform effectively across a variety of situations. The identification of transferable skills is essential for developing adaptability within the workforce and ensuring workers are equipped to respond to shifts in skills demand. This research also aligns with the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Just Transition, as it anticipates a need for workers to transition from carbon-intensive roles to ‘green jobs’, which may require skill transfer. Additionally, there is a significant demand for seasonal workers in the land-based and aquaculture sectors, given the high proportion of seasonal jobs and the decline in the numbers of international seasonal workers travelling to work in Scotland post-EU exit. Identifying transferable skills can help support seasonal workers to apply their expertise across multiple roles year-round.”
Regarding the work, Kristen said “I have had a great experience doing a placement with the Scottish Government. I have learned a huge amount about how Government works and the role of research in policy. The experience has definitely provided food for thought in my PhD, and I am excited to get back to it and inform some policy myself!”
The full report is available to view online, download as a pdf and also a four-page visual summary.
