The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has awarded £400,000 to help deliver an Energy Transition Skills Hub in Scotland.
Plans for the new hub were unveiled in September 2023 with the collaborative venture involving the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), Scottish government, Shell UK, and North East Scotland College (NESCol) as part of a consortium of private and public investment.
The extra funding, which comes from the ECITB’s investment in Regional Skills Hubs, will further support the establishment and operation of the training facility.
The hub is designed to help meet current and future training needs of the energy transition.
Andrew Hockey, ECITB’s chief executive, said: “Our Labour Forecasting Tool predicts that the [engineering construction industry] could need thousands of additional workers over the coming years for major projects, including those that contribute to the country’s net zero goals.
“Without a pipeline of trained, skilled workers all this risks not being achieved, which is why we’re working with industry partners in the UK’s industrial cluster regions to grow the number of skilled engineers and craftspeople we need now and in the future.
“As an integral part of workforce development and supporting the pipeline of new recruits into the energy industry, the Skills Hub will be central to the success of the long-term project to support the transition to renewable energies in North East Scotland.”
Training facility
The project has already received £4.5 million from the Scottish government’s Just Transition Fund, £2.3 million from ETZ, and £500,000 from NESCol.
Shell has also committed £1.8 million towards the running costs of the skills hub for the first five years, with a view to supporting 1,000 jobs in the region.
The hub will include a community space for local groups and a flexible curriculum, including weekend and evening courses, to engage with a more diverse pool of learners, such as adult returners.
Subject areas covered by NESCol at the hub will include welding; wind; general engineering and fabrication; carbon capture, usage and storage; renewables; hydrogen; and electrical.
Robin McGregor, NESCol’s vice principal curriculum and quality, said: “The Energy Transition Skills Hub is a hugely significant project for the college and our partners.
“NESCol works very closely with industry to ensure the skills required in the jobs market are reflected in the courses we offer and the learning environment we create, with the new facility underlining the ambition the partners share as a driving force in the journey to net zero.
“This investment in the environmental and economic sustainability of the region comes at a time of great opportunity for the North East and the college has a crucial role to play in ensuring the knowledge, skills and expertise that provide the foundation for energy transition are at the heart of that bright future.”
