Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway (TSDG) hosted Empowering Pathways, a regional forum aiming to strengthen employability through collaboration across the region.
The event brought together third sector organisations, community groups, DG Works, local authority representatives and national partners to consider how to improve employability and community wellbeing in the area.
A clear message was highlighted: meaningful progress depends on partnership, place-based working and investment that reaches communities directly.
Attendees emphasised the need for improved transport and digital connectivity, targeted support for rural areas facing depopulation, and long-term investment in services for women and girls experiencing violence — particularly preventative and educational work delivered by the third sector.
Claire Renton, Deputy Director, Employability, Jobs and Wellbeing Economy Directorate for the Scottish Government, opened the Forum by setting out national employability priorities, stressing Scotland’s commitment to a simpler, fairer and more person-centred system.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Craig Hope, Team Leader for Employability and Skills, presented the DG Works Core Offer and also outlining the real progress locally and areas for further improvement to ensure a fully aligned, accessible employability pathway.
Tracy McLeod, Contracts Officer with Employability Skills and Partnerships at the local authority, highlighted the importance of the Flexible Framework, calling for greater third sector involvement to increase flexibility and local responsiveness.
A powerful moment of the day came from Niomi Hamilton, Lead for Community Health and Wellbeing at TSDG, whose Jimmy’s Journey case study illustrated how early intervention and whole-system support can transform individual outcomes when partners work together. Learning from beyond the region was provided by Craig Dutton (Capital City Partnership), who shared practical insights from Edinburgh’s integrated employability approach and the time and trust required to build effective partnerships.
During a panel discussion chaired by Alan Webb, CEO at TSDG, speakers from government, local authority and the third sector explored what success could look like for Dumfries and Galloway and the small changes that could shift the system forward.
Feedback from participants showed strong appetite for deeper collaboration, clearer frameworks, and continued opportunities for shared learning.
Reflecting on the event, Ken Keenan, Lead for Employability, Skills and Learning at TSDG, said: “The third sector is already doing extraordinary work. When we connect that strength with public sector partners and community insight, the whole system becomes greater than the sum of its parts.”
TSDG will now build on the momentum by creating more spaces for partnership, strengthening alignment with DG Works and national policy, and supporting collaborations that bring investment directly into local communities.