▁high - value ▁invest ment ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁by ▁Roll s - Ro y ce . ▁She ▁launched ▁Scotland ' s ▁first ▁ever ▁Science ▁strategy ▁and ▁developed ▁a ▁better ▁pipeline ▁to ▁get ▁ideas ▁out ▁of ▁l abs ▁and ▁into ▁business es , ▁including ▁the ▁Proof ▁of ▁Con cept ▁Fund ▁and ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Co - In vest ment ▁Fund ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁private ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁invest ment ▁in ▁emer ging ▁business es . ▁She ▁also ▁champion ed ▁the ▁first ▁broad band ▁strategy ▁for ▁Scotland ▁and ▁took ▁action ▁to ▁tack le ▁the ▁' dig ital ▁divide '. ▁ ▁Alexander ▁promoted ▁a ▁" learning , ▁ear ning " ▁nation ▁including ▁the ▁dou bling ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Modern ▁App rent ices hips , ▁joint ly ▁leading ▁the ▁C ly de ▁Sh ip y ards ▁Task force ▁to ▁help ▁modern ise ▁ship building ▁on ▁the ▁C ly de ▁through ▁invest ment ▁in ▁skills , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁global ▁dow nt urn ▁in ▁electron ics ▁hitting ▁companies ▁such ▁as ▁Motor ola ▁launched ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁P ACE ▁( Part ners hip ▁for ▁Cont inu ing ▁Emp loyment ) ▁initi ative ▁to ▁help ▁those ▁made ▁redundant ▁find ▁work ▁quickly . ▁ ▁As ▁Minister ▁with ▁responsibility ▁for ▁skills ▁and ▁lif el ong ▁learning ▁she ▁promoted ▁higher ▁education ▁enter prise ▁links ▁and ▁champion ed ▁research , ▁modern ising ▁management ▁and ▁w iden ing ▁access ▁to ▁univers ities ▁by ▁those ▁previously ▁ex cluded . ▁She ▁also ▁extended ▁Edu c ational ▁Main ten ance ▁Allow ances ▁to ▁support ▁pup