Women have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, shouldering increased caring responsibilities, lost earnings and job losses. Here at tigers, we want to help as our vision is for a fair and inclusive world where equal opportunities exist for all.

With this in mind, tigers are delighted to be partnering with Skills Development Scotland on an exciting new programme, designed to support women returning to the job market, who have experienced unemployment for 6 months or more.

Research shows that digital skills are needed for almost every job, it is part of the Scottish Government’s ‘A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a digital world’. The strategy, published in March 2021, commented, ‘ensuring we have a strong digitally skilled workforce will be a key driver to inclusive economic growth’. This course will provide women returning to work with the composite skills required to gain employment and contribute to the wider economy.

Steeped in the knowledge that significant learning and development only happens in the presence of secure, positive relationships, a key focus for tigers will be supporting women to develop digital skills and break down the barriers accessing employment. Our course will focus on experiential learning opportunities and a paid work placement, with the aim of moving to sustained employment.

A key element of this course will be to tackle digital exclusion faced by many women and advance towards our vision for a fair and inclusive world where equal opportunities exist for individuals, families and communities. We can’t wait to share more details as we work with women to help them return to work.

The Women Returners Programme is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Skills Development Scotland.