A teacher has been given the keys to her new flat – which she will enjoy rent-free for the next six months.
Gillian Elliot is the first person to take advantage of Moray Council’s initiative to attract more teachers to the region to tackle the well-publicised shortage.
The unique scheme is being run by the council and Springfield Properties, provides rent-free accommodation to new teachers moving to the area for their first six months.
Under the arrangement – the first of its kind in Scotland – the house-builders has given the council the use of 10 new two-bedroom flats in Elgin, Forres and Buckie.
The firm’s chairman Sandy Adam stepped in to help after councillors were warned there was a danger of pupils being sent home because of a lack of teacher cover.
Ms Elliot, 23, will begin teaching in the technical department at Milne’s High School in Fochabers on Monday after two years of teaching in Glasgow.
She said the offer of rent-free accommodation had been a major factor in deciding to apply for the job.
“It was what drew me to the post,” she said. “Starting a new job is daunting enough in itself without the additional pressure of finding somewhere to live. It is a great opportunity to get teachers to come to the area.”
Moray Council’s director of education and social care, Laurence Findlay, said there had been a significant increase in the number of applicants for teaching posts in Moray since the partnership with Springfield.
He said: “Previously we were getting just a handful of applications for some posts – now we are typically getting well into double figures.
“Although Gillian is the first to take up the offer of accommodation, there has certainly been a very encouraging rise in the number of teachers applying for posts in Moray and that seems to have coincided with Springfield’s very generous offer.”
Speaking yesterday, Mr Adam said: “We are delighted to welcome Gillian to Moray and to her new Springfield home. It’s good to hear that the number of teachers applying for posts in Moray is rising.
“Moray is a great place to live and work and we have extended the offer until Christmas with the intention of helping more teachers to make the move.”