Back to business, and celebrating the important contributions of employees

I enjoyed a busy week last week having just returned from Dubai where one of my sons now lives. While enjoying the sunshine I was struck by how clean this part of the world is, and how well they do in terms of infrastructure developments given only 9% of their economy is reliant on oil and gas. It was great to have a relaxing break but it’s also great to come home to Aberdeenshire.

Last week was very busy with meetings and engagements. It was particularly pleasing to meet staff being recognised for their long service of 25 or 40 years. As usual it was an excellent occasion to celebrate the vast amount of public service these employees have undertaken and to recognise their commitment to improving the lives of others. I was also surprised to learn from some of those who are retiring soon that their requests for a phased retirement had not been agreed, so I’ve asked Laura Simpson as our Head of HR&OD to look at how we can make this option more available within different services.

I was also delighted to be part of the Apprentice of the Year Awards as it’s an excellent initiative to recognise all of the work carried out by our 50 apprentices across Aberdeenshire. We have many more applicants than places so we’re looking for new areas across the council apprentices might move into. Is this something you have considered within your team?