Scotland’s largest Energy Transition Skills Hub, boasting a state-of-the-art welding academy, advanced manufacturing zone and future technology digital training suites, was officially opened in Aberdeen today by First Minister John Swinney MSP.
The £10 million facility, on the site of a dilapidated former dairy, is the transformational anchor project of the Skills Campus in the city’s Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) and will support 1,000 people into jobs with a focus on energy transition in the first five years of its operation.
The event marked the official handover of the Hub from ETZ Ltd, which has led the project’s delivery, to North East Scotland College (NESCol) with the latter confirming the new facility is already providing training for 42 welding and 27 engineering students this academic year.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) awarded £400,000 to help deliver the Energy Transition Skills Hub (ETSH).
The funding, which came from the ECITB’s investment in Regional Skills Hubs, funded the equipping and fitting of a modern welding academy within the facility, including 32 welding bays, to help meet the growing demand for welders in the region.
“The ECITB forecasts that 40,000 additional workers could be needed across the engineering construction industry (ECI) for major projects, including those related to net zero, by 2030.
“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, such as in trades like welding.
“As an integral part of workforce development and supporting the pipeline of new recruits into the energy industry, the Energy Transition Skills Hub will be central to the success of the long-term project to support the transition to renewable energies in North East Scotland.
“The ECITB is delighted to support the project and work in partnership with the industry consortium to inspire the next generation of engineers and welders to help close the skills gap in the ECI.”
Andrew Hockey
CEO of the ECITB
Support for project
To encourage increased uptake in courses, particularly from local communities, the Hub is providing accessible training, blending provision for full-time students with opportunities for upskilling and reskilling through part-time, evening and weekend courses.
The high demand for energy transition skills across the region is evidenced by NESCol’s Energy Technician and new Wind Turbine Operations & Maintenance courses, which enrolled 32 students this year alone.
This provides the skills required to forge careers in a sector the region is ideally placed to benefit from given the vast number of offshore wind projects, with 75% of Scotland’s 45.5 GW total installed and planned pipeline within 100 nautical miles of Aberdeen.
Through its leadership and private-public sector partnership model, ETZ Ltd secured significant backing toward the project, such as from the ECITB.
Funding also came from the Scottish Government Just Transition Fund (£4.5m), Shell UK (£1.8m), NESCol (£500k) and transmission networks provider SSEN (£150k), with the remainder being funded through the ongoing support for ETZ Ltd from the Scottish and UK Governments.
‘Securing the highly skilled workforce of the future’
First Minister of Scotland, Rt Hon John Swinney MSP, was on hand to officially open the new Hub (pictured) and was taken on a tour of the facility.
He said: “Ensuring a pipeline of expertise and talent will be key to unlocking Scotland’s energy transition and securing the highly skilled workforce of the future.
“The Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund has been central to the development of the Energy Transition Skills Hub, a magnificent facility that will support our existing workforce alongside fostering the skills of the next generation of industry leaders.
“Aberdeen is recognised around the world as a hub of energy excellence, and it is the expertise and knowledge of its workforce that has underpinned its success.
“The Energy Transition Skills Hub will be transformational in building on that proud reputation and positions the city and wider region as the go-to location for people seeking to develop energy skills of the future.”
ETZ Ltd Chairman, Sir Ian Wood, added: “This represents yet another shining example of how the public and private sectors can work together to deliver impactful outcomes at pace.
“We are hugely grateful to NESCol, Shell UK, ECITB and SSEN for their unwavering support and to the Scottish and UK Governments for their continued and significant backing.”
Principal and Chief Executive of NESCol, Neil Cowie, said: “When we set about drawing the blueprint for the Energy Transition Skills Hub, one of the primary aims was to create an environment that would inspire the next generation to embrace opportunities in an evolving energy industry.
“The Hub is not only about new entrants to the sector. Upskilling and reskilling are other important facets and, with the full-time offer now embedded, we are already turning our attention to the offer tailored to employers and those wishing to take advantage of part-time learning opportunities.”
