Project Began: January 2024
Total Budget: £2.47m
Project Lead: Dundee and Angus College

This project provides funding and support to small and medium enterprises in the Tay City Region to enable them to upskill their workforce.

It is designed to address duplication and gaps by bringing together the combined resources of colleges, universities and business support providers. The offer of funding for businesses aims to increase the uptake of training and enhance productivity, as well as addressing skills shortages.

The Supporting SME Skills project is led by Dundee and Angus College and promoted via colleges across the region.

Find out more via the college nearest to you:

• Dundee and Angus College – SME Skills
• Fife College – SME Skills
• UHI Perth – SME Skills

For more information, email: business@dundeeandangus.ac.uk.

Project Began: January 2023
Total Budget: £4.324m
Project Lead: Fife Council

DigiTay is a digital skills initiative aiming to prepare and equip the workforce in the Tay City Region to meet the needs of the future digital economy.

The project has been designed in two phases. In Phase 1, a new collaborative, regional approach to digital skills was established, providing clear, integrated, and inclusive progression routes into digital and data careers.

Phase 2 is focused on higher level digital skills and is split into the following workstreams:

• Curriculum development and course delivery at intermediate, advanced and professional levels in software development, cyber security, data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Enhancement of the DigiTay website as a regional platform for knowledge sharing and business engagement.
• Support for the region’s tourism and hospitality businesses to help them adopt technology solutions that enhance productivity and deliver improved customer experiences.
• Introduction of the ‘Rapid Tech’ programme to speedily upskill and reskill individuals into professional technology roles.
• Provision of work experience for tech students at HND and undergraduate level to address concerns outlined by tech companies.

To find out more about DigiTay, please visit the website or LinkedIn.

Project Began: October 2025
Total Budget: £2 million
Project Lead: Fife College

HospitaliTAY aims to strengthen and grow the hospitality workforce by delivering funded training opportunities and promoting inspiring, inclusive career pathways into the sector.

The project supports upskilling training opportunities for pupils in schools, individuals seeking to enter or return to hospitality roles, and those already working within the industry, helping them to develop relevant skills, leadership experience, and recognised qualifications. This, in turn, increases the talent pipeline and supports hospitality businesses to thrive.

A key focus is upskilling and inspiring people to view hospitality as a viable and rewarding career, while addressing skills shortages through targeted training aligned with sector needs.

This approach supports inclusive, long term career development and helps strengthen sustainability and future growth across the hospitality sector.

To find out more about HospitaliTAY, please visit the website, LinkedIn or Facebook.

For more information, email: HospitalityTCRD@fife.ac.uk.

Project Began: October 2025
Total Budget: £1.975 million
Project Lead: Dundee and Angus College

Colleges across the region are working together to create a series of new courses and qualifications for construction and built environment.

The project is actively engaging with partners to gather industry intelligence and develop course content that is aligned with industry need. New equipment is being purchased to facilitate hands-on training for students and industry.

Alongside this, a comprehensive school engagement and events programme is targeting young people and those underrepresented in the sector to encourage uptake.

The aims of this project dovetail to deliver progress towards net zero and inclusive growth for the region. The project addresses the skills and labour gaps within the construction sector, particularly those relating to sustainable and green construction.

It ensures that new entrants have the skills and competencies to support growth in the sector and raises awareness of jobs roles and employment opportunities related to sustainable construction.

Find out more about sustainable construction and green skills training by visiting Dundee & Angus College to explore construction and low‑carbon skills opportunities.

Project Began: December 2023
Total Budget: £1.975 million
Project Lead: Dundee and Angus College

Science Futures is a targeted intervention that supports upskilling and reskilling to enable sector growth within the Biotech, Biomedical and Agritech industries.

The project is a partnership between the colleges across the region (Dundee and Angus College, Perth College UHI and Fife College), as well as the James Hutton Institute, the University of Dundee, Abertay University and the Dundee Science Centre.

A key focus for the project is to develop new, and enhance existing, course provision across a range of SCQF levels to create learning and career pathways for prospective learners which meet the needs of these growing sectors.

Courses are also combining work placements and expanded pathways to employment to improve the connections between education and jobs. New laboratory and testing equipment have been purchased to ensure that students have access to state-of-the-art equipment and can develop the necessary ‘hands on’ skills such as tissue and cell culture skills, technical testing and digital and data skills, such as data analysis.

Promotional campaigns, events and school visits for children and young people are showcasing the career opportunities and pathways available in these sectors.

Work is also underway to highlight opportunities to those who are seeking to reskill/upskill and transition from other sectors.

To find out more about Science Futures, see them on LinkedIn.

Project Began: January 2026
Total Budget: £1.9 million
Project Lead: Dundee City Council

Targeting Hidden Talent is aimed at those not in work and furthest from the labour market. The project has been in development in recent months and is beginning now.

Stage Zero or “pre-employability” activity is designed for those furthest from the labour market. The project will support individuals to work towards overcoming challenges in their lives and move towards employability and skills provision, to eventually participate in the labour market.

It is delivered through the four local authorities in the Tay Cities Region, targeting specific areas identified as most deprived. Local Authorities will come together at regular intervals to report on progress and share learning through a Community of Practice forum.

Relational staff are seeking to reach and engage people through building a presence in community spaces such as community centres and supermarkets and aiming to build relationships with those in specific geographical areas across the region.

Staff will support people with a range of significant challenges including obtaining essential missing documents such as birth certificates; improving basic skills such as literacy and numeracy; managing health problems and addictions; and meeting basic needs for food and clothing.

After long-term, intensive pre-employability support to build stability individuals are progressed towards employability services.

Find out how Targeting Hidden Talent can support people and businesses in Angus. Contact Angus Council’s Skills Team to learn more about inclusive employability and skills support.

The Skills & Employability Development Programme is co-ordinated by Programme Manager Georgina Bowyer.

You can contact Georgina via ghbowyer@pkc.gov.uk.

Follow Tay Cities Region Deal Skills & Employability Programme on LinkedIn or sign up to their monthly newsletter.