Cash to help Highland newcomers

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A £521,000 funding package has been put together to pay for new services for people who have moved from abroad to the Highlands and Islands.

Highland Wellbeing Alliance will use the money for English classes and to help people get jobs.

It received £260,500 from the European Social Fund. The rest will be met by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and other local bodies.

HIE said statistics showed 5,500 people from other countries live in the area.

Migrant workers

The rise in the number of people moving to the Highlands from abroad to find work has already led its council to seek out staff with specialist language skills.

Highland Council hopes to find three bi-lingual language assistants to add to the four it has already employed.

The authority said the job involved helping migrant workers and their families settle into their new lives.