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Ministear airson Cosnadhdo dh'QigridhMinister for Youth Employment I

Angela Constance A/MSP

FIT:0845774 1741

E: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.go .uk

Ms Kezia Dugdale MSPThe Scottish Parliament

EDINBURGH

EH99 1SP

Ur faidhle/Your ref: AM130118Ar faidhle/Our ref: 2013/0003108

;JQ February 2013

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The ScottishGovernmentRiaghaltas na h-Alba

LEGACY 2014X X C OM M ON WE AL TH G AM E S

SCOTLAND

Thank you for your recent correspondence about the new Our Skillsforce (OSF) web service.

I was interested to read your vie'ws regarding the images which have been used in

connection with the service and lasked Scottish Government officials to discuss the points

you raised with Skills Developmi:mt Scotland (SDS).

On the web portal and the markJ 3ting materials which have been produced to promote OSF,

there is a range of sample imagks, showing people in a variety of workplace settings. Since

the service was launched three hlOnths ago, SDS has sought to ensure that these images

have been well-balanced, showi1nga mixture of men and women from different ethnic

backgrounds - the images were: updated as recently as a few weeks ago. To this end, the

series of images on the OSF portal shows men and women of different ages in office and

industrial backgrounds. For ex~mple, the image which links to information about the LowCarbon Skills Fund offer is of a ~/oung woman operating machinery. In addition, an OSF

leaflet contains two images of women in hard hats - one at a shipyard and one in a

warehouse - and a woman in a life sciences lab.

I should stress that OSF is still i ! ' its early stages. It will co~tinue to be developed to meetthe needs of businesses and in ~ccordance with the feedback received. There is currently a

formal programme management process underway with relevant partners and stakeholders

which will take account of equalIty and diversity issues. SDS has assured me they will

continually seek to provide a balance of presentational images in connection with Our

Skillsforce.

Cidhe Bhictoria, Dun Eideann, EH6 6QQ

Victoria Quay, E dinburgh EH6 6QQ IWww.5cotland.gov.uk

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IThe issue of gender segregation and gender stereotyping that can lead to young women not

considering or accessing opportunities in science, technology or engineering careers is an

issue of huge importance to me and was part of the agendcl during the Women's

Employment Summit in September last year. In response tb this, at the Women's

Employment Summit, the First Minister announced funding iOf250,000 to establishCareerWlSE (Women In Science & Engineering) Scotland.

CareerWlSE will seek to deliver tangible improvements in ttle position of women in science

and engineering careers by seeking to change the actions (~fschools, teachers andemployers. This funding will be used to intensify engagem~nt with schools and business

and to support collaboration between schools and business1esto encourage more girls to

enter further and higher education in science subjects and to take up careers in science and

engineering. ~ 1 1 / J ! ; / ' ,!r -; ;y

ANGEL A CONSTANCE