HR Services Scotland has been appointed to deliver support to hub South West Scotland and work with companies in the region to bring them up to speed with the complexities of the current employment environment.

The human resources, employment law and health and safety services provider will offer support and guidance to empower SMEs in the region to interact more efficiently with Tier 1 contractors who are delivering hundreds of millions of pounds worth of public sector projects across the area.

The Lanarkshire firm is engaged on a 10-week programme to work with the companies who want to join the hub South West Supply chain.

HR Services Scotland managing director, Andy Purdon, said: “The hub is a massive programme backed by the Scottish Government through the Scottish Futures Trust. It has 18 participants, including local authorities, ‘blue light agencies’ such as fire and ambulance, health boards and housing associations.

“It is a standalone business with all these different stakeholders, aimed at procurement which ensures that, within the massive budgets for building new schools and medical centres, the Tier 1 contractors have to spend 65 per cent of turnover with local SMEs.”

The Scotland-wide hub programme is aimed at delivering high-quality sustainable public buildings and improving services for local communities as well as delivering operational savings and improving property asset management. hub South West covers all areas throughout Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway and Lanarkshire.

Its programme brings in external providers to add value and look at various aspects of the potential supply chain companies’ businesses. Mr Purdon is working with them to bring them up to speed on HR and other employment matters.

He said: “By the end of the programme, the local companies will be ‘fit for purpose’ to deal with the Tier 1 contractors in these very important projects which will help to shape the future of the region.”

Gordon Hunter, the supply chain development manager of hub South West, said: “hub South West is indebted to providers such as HR Services Scotland who give up their time and their expertise to help local firms in this vitally important enterprise.

“It is crucial that the benefits of procurement spend are felt locally and the enormously valuable assistance and guidance freely given by firms such as HR Services Scotland will help local companies to participate in building the future for their communities.”