Pilot to support oil and gas workers transition to renewables.
Oil and gas workers seeking to transition into careers in
renewables and clean energy will be given additional support
under a pilot scheme launched today (Wednesday 22 Jan).
Supported by £3.7 million of Scottish Government Just Transition
funding between 2022 and 2024, and led by industry, the Energy
Skills Passport will initially support workers to identify routes
into several roles in the offshore wind sector.
As part of the Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK -led pilot,
which is also being supported by the UK Government, oil and gas
workers will be able to gain a clear understanding of what
further qualifications they may need to work in different
careers.
The move is part of wider Scottish Government work to ensure a
just transition to net zero – and seeks to ensure that oil and
gas workers are supported as part of a fair and managed
transition. It is hoped that once fully operational the passport
will help support a pipeline of workers needed to deliver clean
power by 2030.
Acting Cabinet Secretary said: “It is absolutely
vital that we recognise and retain the considerable skills of oil
and gas workers and ensure they are supported, as part of the
Scottish Government's commitment to ensuring a fair and just
transition for Scotland.
“That's why the Scottish Government has provided £3.7 million of
funding to support oil and gas and renewables industries
to jointly develop the Energy Skills Passport –
helping to ensure that the skills, experience and expertise of
oil and gas workers are harnessed and that they are ready to
apply for the long term sustainable jobs that are created as part
of our fair and managed transition to net zero.
“The Scottish Government's support on the passport will help
ensure the economic transformation is managed fairly for workers
in existing industries and the communities that underpin them. I
welcome the pilot phase of the passport, which has been three
years in the making and i look forward to seeing further
developments in the coming months.”
Offshore Energies UK's Director of Supply Chain & People,
Katy Heidenreich said: “We are pleased to be working with
RenewableUK to launch the Energy Skills Passport.
"The UK's offshore energy workforce has a proud heritage and
continues to have high value jobs in oil and gas, which support a
broad range of skills from engineering and construction to legal
and commercial expertise. These skills are essential for the
homegrown oil and gas the UK needs for decades to come together
with the expansion in energy production we'll need in future.
"This passport is all about helping people working in this
industry to make informed decisions about their jobs and future.
As we build a homegrown low carbon future, this passport can help
them succeed in projects right across our diverse energy mix. We
now look forward to working with policymakers to help unlock and
enable the business investment we need for a new generation of
good, high-value jobs and opportunities for firms and their
people.”
RenewableUK's Executive Director of Offshore Wind Jane Cooper
said: “More than a hundred thousand people will be working
in the UK's offshore wind industry by 2030, mostly in highly
skilled roles. To grow our world-class industry as fast as
possible, we need the valuable experience that oil and gas
workers can bring .
"The Energy Skills Passport which we're launching today with our
OEUK colleagues offers a gateway for people to make this
transition by helping them to identify which offshore wind roles
which would suit them best, and setting out in detail the
training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.
"It's a practical tool which demonstrates our determination to
bring the tangible benefits of the energy transition to workers
right across the energy sector”.
Background
View the Energy Skills
Passport
Since April 2024, leadership for the Passport project has moved
from OPITO to a joint arrangement between Offshore Energies UK
(OEUK) and Renewables UK (RUK), reflecting the cross-sector
nature of the Passport.
