Marriott Hotels has become the first hotel chain in Scotland to partner with Women 1st and provide its key female staff with career enhancing training.

As part of the new partnership, Marriott will offer the Step Up scheme, which aims to ensure that junior female managers are given the skills needed to become the senior managers, chief executives and board members of the future.

A unique leadership mentoring network will also be created, matching candidates to senior industry figures so that junior female staff can benefit from expert advice and guidance to progress their careers.

The Women 1st programme will be available in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dumfries and has also secured a government subsidy to part fund the training.

The initiative is the brainchild of People 1st, the sector skills council. The council's figures show that while 56 per cent of the workforce is female, only 6 per cent of board director positions are held by women.