Like their colleagues across the rest of the UK, local authority HR directors in Scotland grapple with workforce challenges. Scotland's Local Government Workforce Report 2024 found a predominantly ageing workforce, with almost one-third of staff aged between 55 and 64. The Scottish Government in comparison has a younger profile with 29% of the workforce aged over 45, compared with 61.7% across councils.

Outgoing president of the SPDS, Elaine Barrie, head of people at Highland Council, says councils are looking at national branding for the whole sector to raise profile and encourage applications as well as working closely with the further education sector