Meet Evonne Boyd, Panel Host
Panel 2, Building the Workforce for Future Growth, is hosted by Evonne Boyd, Head of Operations for Skills Development Scotland's East Region. Evonne and her panellists will be discussing workforce and skills, exploring whether Perth and Kinross's education and training systems are preparing people for future jobs, covering employer-school links, rural challenges, and automation's impact.
Evonne leads the delivery of careers, skills and employability services across a diverse geographical area. She works with local authorities, employers, education providers, and national organisations to support workforce development, economic inclusion and positive outcomes for individuals and communities. Evonne also chairs the Perth and Kinross Local Employability Partnership, bringing partners together to strengthen employability pathways and respond to local labour market opportunities and challenges.
The Summit is billed as: Growing Perth and Kinross: Unlocking Business Growth Through Skills, Investment and Collaboration. What do you hope emerges from the discussions on the day?
I hope the summit strengthens our shared understanding that sustainable economic growth depends on people, businesses and communities succeeding together. Skills and investment are critical, so too are confidence, wellbeing, opportunity and belonging.
Success for me would be practical commitments from employers, education providers, public services, communities and the third sector to work together around shared goals. No organisation can solve workforce challenges alone. If we can build stronger partnerships that help people access opportunity, support businesses to develop talent and create thriving communities, then Perth and Kinross will be well placed to achieve long-term and inclusive growth.
You'll be hosting Panel 2, Building the Workforce for Future Growth. In your view, is Scotland prepared for the workforce businesses will need in five or ten years' time?
Scotland has many strengths, but the pace of technological, demographic and economic change means we have to think differently about workforce development. The challenge is no longer preparing people for a single job. It is helping them adapt to a lifetime of change.
At the same time, we are seeing a growing emphasis on regional approaches to skills and economic development. While national priorities remain important, workforce solutions increasingly need to reflect the distinct opportunities and challenges of different places. The workforce needs of a rural economy such as Perth and Kinross will not always be the same as those of Scotland's larger urban centres, making local collaboration and regional responsiveness more important than ever.
Technical skills remain important, but employers increasingly need people who are adaptable, resilient, creative and confident in navigating change. Career development therefore becomes a lifelong process. The future workforce includes school leavers, graduates, career changers, returners, entrepreneurs and experienced workers extending their careers. Helping people develop the confidence and capability to navigate those transitions successfully will be just as important as any specific technical skill.
We also need to recognise that talent exists in every community. Academic qualifications will always matter, but talent is much broader than exam results. In a changing economy, we cannot afford to leave people behind or overlook potential because it does not follow a traditional path.
Skills Development Scotland works across employers, schools and the wider skills system. Where do you see the biggest gaps in how that system currently connects, and what would stronger collaboration look like in practice?
One of the biggest opportunities is strengthening the connections between education, employers, economic development, employability, community organisations and health services around people's real-life journeys.
Young people need meaningful experiences of work, exposure to employers and high-quality career guidance that helps them understand opportunities and make informed choices. Adults need accessible support to retrain, progress or change direction throughout their careers. Employers are not simply consumers of talent; they are co-creators of the future workforce through work experience, apprenticeships, mentoring and investment in people.
We also need to challenge our assumptions about where talent comes from. Academic qualifications will always matter, but talent is much broader than exam results. Some of our future business owners, skilled tradespeople, care professionals, technicians, community leaders and innovators may not have followed traditional educational pathways. If we are serious about building the workforce of the future, we cannot afford to leave people behind. We need pathways that recognise potential wherever it exists and support people to develop and contribute their talents.
Stronger collaboration means designing solutions together, sharing intelligence and recognising that developing talent is a responsibility shared across the whole system.
Perth and Kinross is a largely rural economy. What particular workforce challenges does that create, and what more could be done to attract and retain skilled people in the area?
Rural economies face a unique combination of challenges including transport and connectivity issues, demographic change and difficulties attracting specialist skills. Many businesses in Perth and Kinross are small and medium-sized enterprises, so workforce solutions need to be practical, flexible and accessible.
Attracting talent is important, but retaining talent is equally critical. Young people, graduates and skilled workers stay where they can see opportunity and build a good quality of life. That means creating strong pathways between education and employment, providing meaningful work experience, supporting apprenticeships and graduate opportunities and ensuring access to career guidance throughout life.
We should also continue to encourage entrepreneurship, social enterprise and community-led solutions that create opportunity locally and help retain wealth, skills and talent within the area.
About Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland is Scotland's national skills agency. We help people develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to make informed learning and career choices throughout their lives, while supporting employers to access, develop and retain talent. Through career information, advice and guidance, apprenticeships, employer support, labour market intelligence and skills planning, we work with individuals, businesses, schools, colleges, universities and partners to help create a more inclusive, productive and adaptable workforce for Scotland's future.
