OUR PEOPLE

Our people are our most important assets and are key to delivering our priorities. Our recruitment policies are designed to ensure that we have the right people, with the right skills and experience, in the right jobs at the right time, matching our resources to our future needs. They also assist in the delivery of our aim of becoming a national centre of transport excellence.

Transport Scotland currently has 255 permanent staff plus 45 consultants and agency staff covering vacancies.

Recruiting the right staff continued to be a challenge in what was a very buoyant construction market. Within this context, our continuous recruitment process is geared towards ensuring that succession planning is addressed and that we have appropriate people, skills and experience in place. Our graduate training scheme recruits up to four graduates each year in key disciplines including Engineering and Transport Planning. By developing and progressing this scheme over the next three years we will drive towards the development of our specialists of the future.

We have appointed a dedicated Learning and Development Manager to implement a tailored development programme for Transport Scotland. Between October 2007 and March 2008 staff undertook 1,935 hours of learning and development, recognising the importance placed in this crucial area.

Transport Scotland is committed to equal opportunity in employment and advancement. This is based on ability to do the job irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, age, work pattern or membership/non-membership of a trade union. All staff are entitled to be treated with respect in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying. Transport Scotland recognises, respects and values the diversity of the society that it serves and is actively working to meet the interests of people from all sections of society.

The Chief Executive is responsible for promoting and supporting effective staff relations, consulting with trade union representatives in line with the Partnership Agreement between the Council of Scottish Government Unions and the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland recognises that transport is particularly important to people with disabilities and has continued to engage with groups through the Scottish Rail Accessibility Forum and the Roads for All forum. The organisation works to the social model of disability, and in the past year reviewed, updated, and published its Disability Equality Scheme.

In August 2006 the Transport Scotland Board published a corporate policy statement pledging its commitment to effective health and safety management across all of the Agency’s undertakings.

Through a planned process of development the Transport Scotland Health and Safety Management System now consists of:

A complete and specifically focused set of procedures and guidance notes that relate to the business activities of staff working both in and out of the office
A helpline facility to provide staff with health and safety advice
General health and safety awareness training for all staff
Training in specific subjects in which particular staff need to be competent, such as the Corporate Culpable Homicide Act 2007

No major accidents or incidents were recorded by Transport Scotland staff over the past year and only one minor accident in the office was logged. Since October 2006 staff have completed 937 hours of health and safety related training.