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CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
 
FOR DISCUSSION 


Title: THE LAND BASED BUSINESS TRAINING PROJECT: UPDATE 

Prepared by: Kate Christie, Land Based Businesses Training Project 
Manager 
Fiona Newcombe, Head of Natural Resources 


Purpose 

• To discuss various options for the future of the project and update Members on the 
progress of the project to date. 


Executive Summary 

The Cairngorms Land Based Business Training Project, part funded by the CNPA, the 
European Social Fund and Land Based Businesses has provided training support for over 500 
people, working for 80 land based businesses, since January 2004. 

The support provided includes financial support, sourcing of courses, networking to build 
course numbers, influencing venues and dates, and monitoring the quality of courses. 

The project also arranges the delivery of Public Benefit courses, which have no direct 
commercial benefit for businesses, but which help them deliver the Park’s aims. 

ESF funding for the project is in place until December 2005, and applications are being made 
for 2006. These timescales, together with the success of the project to date have highlighted 
the need to discuss options for the future development of the project, which may include 
expansion of the beneficiary base of the project, as well as of the delivery of Public Benefit 
courses and the continued support of the CNPA. 



LAND BASED BUSINESS TRAINING PROJECT - UPDATE 

Background 

1. The Land based business Training Project (LBBTP) evolved from work in the late 
1990’s to establish 3 Deeside estates as Investors in People. This process highlighted 
strong organisational and individual training needs. However, the task of identifying 
and sourcing appropriate training was seen to be: 

a) complicated and time consuming 

b) difficult due to the wide ranging and unusual requirements 

c) difficult to source appropriate trainers and influence course dates 

d) difficult to host training events locally or in-house 

e) expensive if bespoke courses were set up by 1 estate. 

2. These obstacles severely limited the amount of training carried out. Kincardine and 
Deeside trust (KADET), supported by the Cairngorms Partnership, set up a project to 
act as a one-stop-shop for training, co-ordinating and managing the training as a 
whole. This project was then expanded to 16 other estates across the Cairngorms, 
management of the project being undertaken until the end of 2003 by Enterprise North 
East Trust (ENET), a successor body to KADET. 

3. The CNPA took over the management of the project in 2004. The LBBTP for 2004 
expanded on the previous project to offer more extensive training opportunities to 
more categories of land based worker. Where the previous projects supported a small 
number of estates only, from 2004, any business that is involved in the use and/or 
management of land is eligible for support through the LBBTP. This includes estates, 
farms, crofts, outdoor recreation centres, horticultural nurseries, community land 
owning groups etc. 

4. The LBBTP has two strands. The first is the continuation of the existing project 
delivering training to help land based businesses (LBBs) become more efficient and 
competitive. LBBs are given support with funding (45% - 50%), but more relevant is 
the support in sourcing courses; in finding trainers to set up new courses when these 
do not already exist; in networking with other LBBs to build up course number so as 
to keep costs down as well as meet the needs of very small businesses; and in ensuring 
where possible that the trainer goes to the LBB rather than expecting the delegate to 
travel to training centres. 

5. The second strand was completely new in 2004. This strand focuses on helping 
existing LBBs to deliver the Public Benefits associated with the 4 aims of the National 
Park. These Public Benefit Courses (PBCs) have no direct commercial benefit for 
LBBs, but emphasise the relationship between the wider public benefits LBBs provide 
and the potential financial benefits. PBCs are 100% funded. 


Update 

6. In 2004, a total of £94 672 was committed, with 416 individuals, working for 64 
LBBs, receiving training through the project. Annex 1 details the breakdown of 
expenditure and outcomes. Approximately 166 courses were undertaken, covering 
various topics such as customer care, environmental management, health and safety, 
IT skills, management development and business skills, technical skills, use and 
maintenance of machinery/equipment/vehicles, and Public Benefit Courses (PBCs). 
Annex 2 shows pie charts of the courses and beneficiaries. 

7. Since the beginning of 2005, 16 businesses have joined the LBBTP and received 
training support through the project, with a total of 80 land based businesses 
committed to the project. There has been a huge uptake of training in the first quarter, 
with approximately £54, 000 already having been spent on training courses. This 
represents a 500% increase on the same period last year, prior to the project team 
starting. In addition to the existing beneficiaries, 100 new beneficiaries have received 
training support this year. We plan to recruit another 250 new beneficiaries by the end 
of 2005. This means that 766 people working in the land based sector will have 
received training through the LBBTP. 

8. The LBBTP recently commissioned an external evaluation of the project. The results 
of this evaluation, and a survey of the beneficiaries carried out by the project team 
(Annex 3 details the survey results) confirms that the project adds value through the 
combination of funding, sourcing, networking to build course numbers, influencing 
course dates/venues and monitoring. The project team has gained a reputation for their 
“can do” philosophy, and is regarded as delivering a “quality” product in terms of the 
nature of training programmes organised, the overall quality of trainers provided, and 
the way courses are organised and delivered. In addition, the team has gained a good 
reputation for engaging with local estates and businesses in order to generate or 
sustain interest in appropriate training courses. 


Issues/Discussion 

Public Benefit Courses 

9. Public Benefit Courses have no direct commercial benefit for a business, but help the 
business deliver the public benefits associated with the aims of the National Park, e.g. 
“The Cairngorms Wildlife - Identification and Interpretation”, and “SOAC and 
Communication Skills” courses. In 2004, 3 PBCs were arranged by the LBBTP, 
delivered to 70 delegates. This year, 5 PBCs have already been delivered by the 
project, to 141 delegates, with another 6 scheduled. These bespoke courses have been 
arranged specifically to help LBBs to deliver the public benefits associated with the 4 
aims of the National Park. Course topics have been identified through consultation 
with CNPA staff, as well as with LBBs. In addition the project team sourced courses 
that were externally arranged, but which still indirectly help businesses meet the aims 
(e.g. SNH Sharing Good Practice Courses, RSPB courses, Scottish Countryside 
Rangers Association courses). Annex 4 details Public Benefit courses delivered. 

10. Interest in the PBCs is growing, due to the high quality of courses that are delivered; 
the fact that course topics directly meet the needs of LBB’s as most have been 
developed through direct consultation with LBB’s; and the fact that the courses are 
generally run in both Speyside and Deeside. Each of these courses are arranged with 
specific National Park aims in mind, as well as consideration of new and evolving 
legislation. It is considered that the LBBTP should continue to expand this element of 
the project, with an increased amount of time and money committed to the 
identification of Public Benefit training needs, and the setting up of courses to meet 
those needs. 

11. Currently, the PBCs are delivered to LBBs only. As the project continues to grow, 
there may be room to expand these courses to a wider beneficiary base. As we 
develop other strategies e.g. Natural Heritage, Resource, Interpretation, it may be that 
we consider delivering courses on these topics to the general public at a subsidised 
rate. Through arranging and delivering these courses we would be helping the people 
who live and work in the Park to deliver the aims of the Park, without making this 
delivery incumbent on working for a LBB. 

12. To date, the CNPA contribution to the project has been modest, with the bulk of the 
funding obtained from the ESF. Approximately £5 000 of the £18 000 committed by 
the Park Authority towards the project was spent on PBCs last year. This represents 
28% of the total expenditure. Given the popularity and growth of the PBCs, it is 
anticipated that the CNPA contribution to them will amount to £15, 000 this year. It 
follows that should we continue to develop and expand the PBCs in the future, the 
Park Authority will be required to expand its financial commitment 


Discussion Points 

13. Should the LBBTP consider expanding the emphasis on the PBCs; in terms of 
increased financial commitment; more staff time dedicated to identifying 
training needs and arranging courses; and expanded beneficiary base to include 
the delivery of some courses to the general public? 

Beneficiary base 

14. Currently, training support is delivered to staff of LBBs only. Land managers provide 
vital jobs and housing in fragile rural areas; produce timber; offer high value 
recreation and tourism opportunities of benefit to the local community as well as to 
landowners; accord special protection to key natural heritage sites and encourage 
responsible access to areas in the countryside. This clearly demonstrates the 
importance of LBBs and the need to continue to support this sector through training. 

15. Various agencies are able to either fund training, or offer subsidised training for LBBs 
(including LEC’s, SAC, FWAG). Lantra and HIE are able to point people in the 
direction of training providers. Whilst there is clear partnership working - MBSE 
puts LBBs in contact with us in the first instance; communication links exist with the 
Learning Centres, we have access to Lantra’s Trainer’s Database - no-one is 
delivering all the elements that the LBBTP offers (funding, sourcing, networking to 
build up course numbers, influencing venues/dates and monitoring). The project team 
has gained a good reputation for engaging with local estates and businesses in order to 
generate or sustain interest in appropriate training courses, and is clearly adding value 
to all the other training that is available. We are working closely with other partners to 
ensure that there is no duplication of efforts, and to co-ordinate funding. 

16. The possibility of extending the LBBTP to include tourism has been considered. 
Although all LBBs are involved in varying degrees of tourism, the project does not 
extend to accommodation providers, restaurants etc. It is considered that there is 
already a large amount of training support available to accommodation providers 
(through VisitScotland and the LEC’s). The Sustainable Tourism Strategy has 
identified that with the wide range of tourism support bodies in place, it is imperative 
that there is not a duplication of roles. It is considered that it may not, at the current 
time, add value to extend the project to non LBB tourism. 

17. The possibility of extending the LBBTP to support youth, primarily through the 
proposed Youth Apprenticeship Scheme has been considered. This scheme is still at a 
developmental stage, but the LBBTP team is heavily involved, with a view to 
identifying how best to use the project to support training for young people. 

18. The possible extension of courses on the developing Natural Heritage, Resource and 
Interpretation Strategies to the general public may be considered. 


Discussion Points 

19. Should we broaden our beneficiary base to incorporate other sectors within the 
National Park, as well as LBBs? 

Funding 

20. Funding for the project has to date been provided by the European Social Fund 
(training costs up to 50%), the LBBs (training costs up to 55%) and the CNPA. The 
CNPA acts as the lead body for the LBBTP, and provides a financial contribution to 
PBCs, promotion of the project, and administration costs, as well as in-kind support 
through employing the officers, providing staff accommodation and management 
support. In 2004, the CNPA contribution was approximately £18 000. 

21. The LBBTP has secured funding from the ESF programmes until the end of 2005, and 
will bid for funding for 2006. The present ESF programmes end in December 2006. 
The future of the ESF programmes is currently the subject of discussions between the 
various Governments and the EU Commission. The advice is that new, similar 
programmes will develop, but given the entry to the EU by 10 new members the order 
of funding available will inevitably be reduced. In addition, it is worth noting that 
historically, there has usually been a hiatus between “old” EU programmes and “new” 
for administrative systems, application procedures and indeed applications to be put in 
place. 

22. In addition to the CNPA and ESF, MBSE has contributed a small amount towards the 
current project. It is considered that we should source future funding from additional 
external partners. 


Discussion Points 

23. When the current ESF funding programme comes to an end in 2006, should the 
project cease to exist, or an expanded version of the project continue, with 
increased support from the CNPA, and additional external funding being 
sourced? 


Policy Context 

24. The LBBTP meets the aims of the National Park; 

a) By training those who are responsible for land and environmental management 
within the National Park so helping conserve and enhance the natural and 
cultural heritage of the area 

b) By training those people who are responsible for welcoming visitors onto the 
land the project is helping promote the understanding and enjoyment of the 
qualities of the area by the public 

c) By helping to improve the performance of land based industries through 
training, the project is benefiting the local economy and helping create an 
adaptable and multiskilled workforce so helping economic and social 
development. 

25. The LBBTP has very clear direct links to two of the CNPA’s Corporate Plan Strategic 
Themes: 

a) Theme 2: To promote sustainable resource, land and water management; and 
to protect and enhance our wildlife and landscapes. 

b) Theme 3: To support and stimulate economic and social development within 
the Park that sustains and is sustained by its special natural and cultural 
qualities. 

26. It is also links directly to several of the Corporate Goals: 

a) “Public benefits which can be produced by land managers defined and 
supported through publicly funded integrated schemes” 

b) “Good communication and consultation by land managers on objective setting 
for public benefits” 

c) “Stronger and more diverse economic opportunities within the CNP area” 
and indirectly to others: 

a) “Duties as the outdoor access authority effectively and efficiently delivered” 

b) “Arrangements in place to meet needs of visitors, land managers, and 
communities for information and management of access (i.e. equivalent of 
ranger functions)” 

c) Wide range of opportunities to experience the special qualities of the Park in a 
sustainable manner is available to all” 

d) “High levels of understanding and appreciation of the Park and of the role, of 
the CNPA and partners” 

27. The LBBTP will be an important mechanism within the Integrated Land Management 
Strategy. The proposed strategy framework recognises that in order for management 
objectives to be set that further the public interest, and would not otherwise occur, the 
long term vision must involve the development of highly effective support 
mechanisms, including training, e.g. the delivery of courses to help farmers 
understand the Integrated Land Management Contracts, and use them to their best 
advantage. 

28. The Draft Interpretive Framework for the Cairngorms has identified the LBBTP as the 
mechanism to develop interpretive training programmes. Interpretation training has 
already been funded through the project to date, with further training earmarked for 
the first quarter of 2006. 

29. The promotion of responsible outdoor access under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 
2003 is a duty of the Park Authority and Scottish Natural Heritage. The LBBTP has 
already arranged bespoke Access training, with further, advanced courses scheduled 
into 2006 and beyond. 

30. The LBBTP is a mechanism to independently deliver at least 8 of the actions of the 
Sustainable Tourism Strategy, without duplicating on the work of the other agencies. 
Annex 5 details the actions and how the LBBTP delivers them. 


Implications 

Financial Implications 

31. The current Operational Plan makes provision for £50,000 to cover the CNPA’s 
contribution towards Public Benefit courses, staffing, project evaluation and 
promotional activity. External funding has been secured until the end of 2005. Given 
the current situation regarding ESF funding already mentioned, it is possible that ESF 
funding will be reduced in the future. As such the expanded continuation of the 
project may require increased financial support from the CNPA particularly with 
regards the development of the PBCs. 


Presentational Implications 

32. The LBBTP has been widely publicised, through press releases and advertisements of 
Public Benefit courses, as well as inclusion in several related magazines/journals; 
distribution of leaflets through mail shots, at shows and at relevant meetings; and 
various presentations. (Annex 6 details the publicity profile). This has a knock effect 
of positively promoting the CNPA as a whole. 

33. The LBBTP is also an extremely important tool for positive engagement with 
landowners and land managers. 


Implications for Stakeholders 

34. The main stakeholders of the LBBTP are LBBs. The core aims of the LBBTP are: 

a) To improve the performance and competitiveness of existing land based 
businesses through establishing a more highly trained, flexible and efficient 
workforce. 

b) To provide the opportunity for the rural workforce to gain new skills and 
update or formalise existing skills. 

c) To protect existing jobs by improving the skills base of workers and to help 
create an adaptable workforce with transferable skills who can participate in 
emerging sectors of the labour market. 

d) To create a culture where both employers and employees recognise the longterm 
benefits of training and lifelong learning. 

e) To further the aims of the National Park by increasing the efficiency of landbased 
businesses which will have a direct impact on the social and economic 
fabric of the National Park as well as enable those businesses to deliver the 
public benefits of the National Park. 

35. An in-house survey was recently conducted to assess the impact of the project on 
businesses and individuals, and to see if the project is meeting these core aims. 
(Annex 3 details the survey results). 

36. The majority of respondents perceive that the LBBTP training support has increased 
their confidence, helped them to do their jobs better, increased their job satisfaction 
and made them more ambitious to develop their roles further. This was substantiated 
by employers in terms of the positive impact of the LBBTP on their business’s 
efficiency and competitiveness. A strong majority wish to undergo further training. 
Over 94% of the employer respondents indicate that the training support they receive 
through the LBBTP contributes to their business’s delivery of the Park’s aims. 


Conclusions 

37. The LBBTP has important strategic links which serve to demonstrate that the Project 
acts as an effective delivery mechanism for several of the National Park goals and 
related actions. It clearly has an important role to play in; awareness raising (on a 
wide range of strategically important issues); skills training; creating adaptable and 
efficient workforces; job creation; culture change in land based businesses; delivering 
public benefits; community capacity building; sustainable communities; sustainable 
use of the land; protection of the natural heritage. 

38. It is considered that in the short term, the project should continue with the level of 
support currently delivered to businesses. However, we recognise the need for 
developing a training strategy for the national Park for the long term. Whilst it is 
considered that there may permanently be room to develop and deliver PBCs, the 
importance of developing an exit strategy with a view to encouraging businesses to 
take on a training culture is noted. 

39. This paper provides an opportunity to discuss how the project can be developed in the 
future, primarily with regards the beneficiary base and the delivery of public benefit 
courses. The intention is to take the Board’s views and develop them into a clear 
vision of the future role of the LBBTP. We hope to come back to Board early in 2006 
to present an update on the project in 2005, and to present a business plan for the 
project for the next 3 years. 


Kate Christie 
Fiona Newcombe 
April 2005 

katechristie@cairngorms.co.uk 
fionanewcombe@cairngorms.co.uk