The Minister for Youth Employment, Angela Constance, today announced that Mr Paul McKelvie OBE has been appointed as Scotland Commissioner to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES).

Mr McKelvie succeeds Mr Willy Roe OBE whose tenure as Scotland Commissioner ended on 31 March 2012.

Welcoming the appointment, Ms Constance said: “The Scottish Government has worked closely with the UKCES since its inception, and our dealings with them have been constructive across a range of practical issues relating to skills provision in Scotland. As Scotland Commissioner, I look forward to Paul continuing to develop this productive relationship. He will have a key role to play in articulating the issues and policies operating in Scotland within the work of the UKCES.”

Mr McKelvie has extensive experience across the private and public sectors. A training and development professional, Paul headed up ScottishPower Learning, a partnership between the company and its trade unions that helped train the company’s employees; and improve the employability of young people in the community. Latterly Paul was appointed to the broader role of Corporate Responsibility Director.

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Since leaving ScottishPower, Paul has developed a portfolio career which includes Board Membership of the Scottish Funding Council (where he is Vice-Chair) and Skills Development Scotland. He is Chair of their Joint Skills Committee.

Paul has his own consultancy which focuses on Corporate Responsibility; and is also a member of the Goodison Group in Scotland Forum.

In 2005 Paul was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to lifelong learning in Scotland.

This appointment will be for three years starting 1 April 2012. This post is part-time and attracts remuneration of £250 per day for a time commitment of up to 48 days per year.

Mr McKelvie is a Board member of Skills Development Scotland. This post attracts an annual remuneration of £6,240. He is also a Board Member of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council and Chair of the Joint Skills Committee. This post attracts an annual remuneration of £11,556.

Established in 2008, the UKCES is a UK wide non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and a company limited by guarantee. It is jointly sponsored by the Secretaries of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Work and Pensions, and co-sponsored by Ministers in Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Department for Education and the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, England and Wales.

This Ministerial public appointment was made in accordance with the code of practice published by the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last 5 years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Mr McKelvie has declared no political activity within the last five years.

(GK)