Women in the north-east are to benefit from a new scheme designed to create more opportunities in rural industries.
The Women in Rural Economy Training Fund, set up by the Scottish Government, will give women the opportunity to develop their skills thanks to training worth £100,000.
Its aim is to address a gender imbalance across sectors such as land-based engineering, conservation and aquaculture.
Lantra Scotland will administer the initiative and will provide full funding up to £500 per course. Financial support for courses costing more will be administered on a case-by-case basis.
The new scheme was welcomed by Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin.
She said: “I fully support this scheme to help address inequality and provide opportunities for women interested in a career in rural settings.
“There is a clear need for providing women with more access to training and reskilling opportunities. We know that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women’s jobs and incomes so funding such as this is more important than ever.
“It is essential we are investing and ensuring that there is no gap in provision when it comes to upskilling women with technical knowledge and practical training experience.”
Those interested in applying for funding should contact scotland@lantra.co.uk by March 31.
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