Rural leaders celebrate a decade of boosting Scotland’s rural economy

Independent evaluation of the Rural Leadership Programme has shown that the programme was having a direct and positive impact on the rural economy.

This includes:

The Rural Leadership Programme is delivered on behalf of Scottish Enterprise by SAC Consulting and is aimed at business managers and employees from rural businesses who have a desire to develop their leadership skills and grow their business.

These include farmers, vets, estate managers, tourism managers, and managers from processing and supply businesses.

The 10th Anniversary Conference for the Rural Leadership Programme, which this year has the theme ‘Leading with Purpose’, will welcome a variety of speakers, who will share their leadership journey.

The Conference will also look ahead to the next 10 years.

One of the speakers will be Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity.

He said: “I am delighted to celebrate 10 years of the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme. A very successful 10 years, which has seen almost 450 people take part, and I would like to express my thanks to everybody who has been involved in delivering the Programme. I am a passionate advocate for our rural businesses and for those individuals who are driving our rural economy forward.”

Julian Pace, rural director at Scottish Enterprise, said:”Over the last 10 years I’ve seen alumni of the Rural Leadership Programme go on to achieve levels of success they never thought possible. The rural economy is key in Scotland. It represents around 95 per cent of the land covered by Scottish Enterprise and is home to 75 per cent of Scotland’s rural population.

“The rural economy needs leaders with ambition, who are also equipped with the skills to help them realise their ambitions. This programme provides these skills so they can overcome barriers and challenge the status quo through continuous innovation.”