MSPs have been told that Brexit it is the “biggest challenge” facing the Highlands and islands – and that it could jeopardise the booming tourism and food and drink sectors.
Charlotte Wright, chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), issued the warning as she gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s economy committee.
She said there was currently “a considerable opportunity” for firms involved in tourism, and products such as salmon and whisky, but that they were struggling to recruit enough staff to cash-in.
And the HIE boss suggested to the committee that the north faced a more acute problem than other parts of Scotland, because of an existing shortage of workers that could be exacerbated by Brexit and tighter migration control.
Asked if the UK’s departure from the EU was the primary economic issue facing the region, Ms Wright said: “Yes, absolutely, of course.”
She added: “If you’re asking me what I see as the biggest challenge for the Highlands and islands, it is without a shadow of a doubt the people equation.
“We already have significant challenges, across all sectors, in all parts of the Highlands and islands, not really of skills but actually of people.
“And I think perhaps the Highlands and islands is in a slightly different position to the rest of Scotland in that challenge.
“In talking to companies, many would like the opportunity of getting people in and training them and not seeing the skills acquisition as a difficulty, but actually the recruitment and retention challenges themselves are significant.”
Ms Wright told the committee that HIE’s panel of 1,000 businesses in the area found about half were concerned about Brexit and that it was “even higher in sectors such as tourism and food and drink, which are very heavily reliant on migrant workers”.
She added: “A lot of the focus is on getting that availability of talent and people to be able to actually respond to what is quite a considerable opportunity at the moment in those sectors.
“I mentioned that tourism has enjoyed a couple of bumper years in the Highlands and islands. It has been exceptionally busy and we want to build on that opportunity.
“Food and drink businesses in the Highlands and islands, with of course stars in the sector like salmon and whisky coming from the Highlands and islands, are also quite dependent on migrant workers.”
