Dundee City Council leader John Alexander has been appointed as a member of the new Advisory Council driving Scotland’s economic transformation.
Councillor Alexander, who is also chair of the Scottish Cities Alliance, joins 16 other members who will work over the summer and early autumn to put forward bold ideas on how to transform the Scottish economy.
The Advisory Council will help shape an ambitious 10-year national strategy as the country recovers from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and transitions to a net zero economy.
Working to unleash entrepreneurial potential and grow Scotland’s competitive business base, this strategy will prioritise investment in the industries of the future and deliver new, good and green jobs.
Councillor Alexander joins business leaders, academics and economists on the Advisory Council. Members will use their insight to bring forward bold ideas that will transform the economy.
Councillor Alexander said: “I’m delighted to join such a dynamic and illustrious team of experts in helping drive Scotland’s economic transformation over the coming decade.
“We face many challenges, not least the impact of the pandemic. I hope that his work will deliver real and tangible benefits for every community across the country.”
The panel will be chaired by Economy Secretary Kate Forbes, who said: "As we emerge from the pandemic, we must work together to seize Scotland’s potential and build an economy for everyone by delivering greater, greener and fairer prosperity.
“The pandemic has led to fundamental shifts in sectors such as retail, and changed the way many businesses operate with more online trading and remote working. We need to build on these innovations and guide our economy to the industries and opportunities of the future.
“Our 10-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation will utilise the expertise of business, trade unions and economists to deliver a focused plan of actions and projects to help transform our economy and help us reach net zero.
“I want to thank the members of the council for agreeing to play such a crucial role in the development of our bold and ambitious 10-year economic strategy.”
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
