Business Minister Fergus Ewing was in Buchan yesterday to discuss job opportunities in Fraserburgh and the surrounding area.
He heard from local businesses about current vacancies, plans to create new jobs and ideas on how to develop business.
His fact-finding visit was in advance of a jobs fair, aimed at helping workers at Young’s Seafood find employment, at North East Scotland College in Fraserburgh on Thursday, January 28.
It will also inform the economic recovery plan the Fraserburgh Task Force – set up to help workers and communities affected by Young’s Seafood’s decision to reduce its operations in the town – is working on.
Mr Ewing said: “I came here today to meet with a cross section of businesses from Fraserburgh and the surrounding area, and with the seafood sector, to hear first-hand about local job opportunities and market conditions.
“With a major jobs fair in a fortnight to help Young’s staff and local people find new employment, it’s imperative there is a slick and effective process to capture and advertise vacancies widely.
“We continue to support Young’s staff in their bid to stay in work through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, which is providing on site skills development and employability support to all Young’s Seafood staff.
“Local companies also told me of their priorities to increase competitiveness and I took away useful and practical suggestions to feed in to the emerging economic recovery plan for the area.”