IRES Integrated Regional Employability & Skills

The Integrated Regional Employability and Skills (IRES) Programme is one of the five themes of the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal, bringing together the six local authorities across the region and wider partners to align skills with industry demand and create clear pathways into higher-skilled, better-paid jobs.

Since its launch in 2019, IRES has exceeded its targets and continues to deliver at scale, with 141,000+ skills improvements, 12,000+ job outcomes and 630+ career progressions delivered across the region to date.

The next phase of IRES will strengthen and expand these pathways, ensuring that people and employers benefit together from a more inclusive, resilient and future-ready regional economy.