Wendy Edie, Managing Director of the digital learning and assessment specialist, eCom, has joined the Strategic Skills Board of ScotlandIS, the body that builds, supports and enables Scotland’s digital technology ecosystem.

Based in Linlithgow, near Edinburgh, ScotlandIS has a membership of over 1,000 companies which, together, currently make up some 63% of the digital technology sector’s contribution to Scotland’s gross value added (GVA). GVA is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy.

ScotlandIS has created the Strategic Skills Board to help bridge the country’s digital skills gap and provide strategic advice to this burgeoning sector. Chaired by Paul Houlden, Chair of the College Development Network, the Board includes representatives from across the private and public sector, educational institutions and government.

Karen Meechan, the Interim CEO of ScotlandIS, said, “‘Digital’ underpins everything we do now in society, but the stark reality is that Scotland isn’t currently producing sufficient graduates to hit the demand levels of our burgeoning tech sector. This new Skills Board will be looking at how we bridge the skills gap and training for the next generation for jobs that haven’t been created yet.

“The board will offer proactive consultation and strategic input. They’ll be providing collaboration wherever possible across a variety of private sectors, as well as government and education,” Karen added.

Wendy Edie, of eCom Scotland, commented, “ScotlandIS’s members cover industries including telecoms, software, IT services, infrastructure specialists and digital media companies, in addition to universities, public sector, financial services, energy industries and specialist providers. It’s an accolade for the digital learning and assessment industry – and a recognition of eCom’s standing as an international leader in this field – that I’ve been asked to join the ScotlandIS Strategic Skills Board.

“I’m delighted to be able to bring what insights and guidance I can for a sector that, at present, is growing some one and a half times faster than the Scottish economy as a whole. The digital technology sector is already the fourth largest of Scotland’s export sectors, exporting over £3.3bn of goods and services a year.”

eCom (https://www.ecomscotland.com/) creates innovative learning solutions – aimed at increasing learning engagement and driving productivity – to help organisations achieve their goals. With offices in Dunfermline, Scotland, and Athens, Georgia, in the USA, but with customers from around the world, eCom focuses on the delivery, tracking and reporting of workforce learning and development through innovative technologies. Its products and services address a range of workforce management, development and training challenges, including eLearning, online assessment, blended learning, competency management and accreditation.

Further information about ScotlandIS: see https://www.scotlandis.com/