Talent Attraction
What has the Project done to date?
Much of the early work of the Project was in partnership with Promote Shetland.
Promote Shetland is the destination marketing organisation for Shetland. Their aim is to promote Shetland as a positive place to live, work, visit, study and invest.
In 2018 the Promote Shetland contract was awarded to NB Communication. They worked on aligning the activities of the service to Shetland’s Partnership plan and its outcomes.
Activity focussed heavily on the promotion of community events and on exploring opportunities for younger people wishing to make a life in the islands.
An online portal at www.shetland.org, alongside mailing lists, social media accounts and various campaign activities have been delivered to attract new residents and encourage visitors alike.
Highlights from 2019/20 include:
- Evolving coverage of Up Helly Aa season with increasing emphasis on the rural events and the strong community involvement behind each. The Lerwick Up Helly Aa continues to be a huge draw, internationally, and this is covered across multiple platforms, including live streaming of the evening procession. This was the busiest day of the year for website traffic. Other fire festivals are supported and promoted via pre-recorded videos and other coverage.
- Establishing the ‘Living & Working in Shetland’ Facebook Group with the aim of providing a place for people to ask questions and be welcomed with helpful answers on all things 'Shetland'. From launch at the end of August 2019 to the end March 2020 the group had had grown to 1,465 members.
- With the aim of trying to provide inspiration to people who might consider living and working in Shetland, stories and videos were produced as part of the ‘Shetlanders’ series. Featuring a group of locals, both new and old, the focus was on what it’s actually like to live in Shetland. These stories were shared via newsletter and social media, and received positive anecdotal feedback from people inspired to move to Shetland.
More recently Promote Shetland launched the ‘Islands of Opportunity’ brand. This was accompanied by a series of campaigns showing Shetland as a positive and vibrant place to live, work, study and invest. After a competitive tendering process NB Communication have been awarded the contract for Promote Shetland for the period 2022-2027.
Outside of the work of Promote Shetland the Islands Deal was signed. The Islands Deal outlines plans for Government investment into the future economic prosperity of Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles. The proposals aim to put the islands at the forefront of the transition to net zero and support thriving, sustainable communities. The Islands Deal will help both the Talent Attraction project and the Place Making and Locality Planning project in achieving their aims.