Meeting of the Parliament 25 October 2023
The roll-out of the Scottish Government’s 10-year just transition fund is in its first years, and the substantial structural change that Labour’s motion calls for is already under way. It is vital that there is a focus on being smarter about skills delivery by ensuring that it matches industry needs. That is exactly what is happening in the north-east.
In year 1, the just transition fund has supported initiatives throughout our region. For example, £1 million was awarded to the National Energy Skills Accelerator for its pilot energy transition skills project. NESA is a partnership between Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen and North East Scotland College. The energy transition skills project is aimed at determining the exact skills that are required to meet the needs of the net zero energy transition from now until 2030 and developing targeted training, upskilling and reskilling for people who are impacted by redundancy or who are transferring from oil and gas, with a focus, of course, on retaining jobs in the north-east. The focus is on matching skills development to the exact needs of low-carbon industries.
In the words of Professor Underhill, who is NESA’s chair and the University of Aberdeen’s director of energy transition:
“This work will help prepare the education pipeline for the anticipated surge in key skills requirements and lay the foundations for upskilling and re-skilling to benefit sustainable energy careers for existing workers and future generations.”
Five million pounds has also been awarded to OPITO to deliver an energy skills passport, which will streamline the transfer of skills and address the lack of recognition of cross-sector skills. That will allow oil and gas workers to prove that they have the recognised qualifications and training that are needed to access new clean energy jobs.
The passport is also key to streamlining reskilling by identifying specific skills gaps and targeting training to those gaps, which will allow workers to be reskilled faster and more workers to be reskilled with the same resources. Pat Rafferty, Unite the union’s Scottish secretary, said on behalf of the Scottish Trades Union Congress:
“the passport will … help identify to all stakeholders where there are skills gaps and shortages which can shape appropriate policy responses so that we can deliver a Just Transition and net zero economy.”
I recognise that that work is in progress and that there is some stickiness about the passport. I hope that ministers will be able to ensure that those difficulties become unstuck and that that works the way that it should.
Skills delivery cannot be restricted to reskilling today’s workers. It is vital that tomorrow’s workers who are currently in our schools and colleges come into the workplace with skills for the future. That is happening in the north-east with the just transition fund and the energy transition zones partnership with North East Scotland College, which is developing the advanced manufacturing skills hub at the Altens campus in Aberdeen and working in schools throughout our region.
With such excellent early work by the just transition fund, it is vital that Labour and the Tories in Westminster commit to matching the Scottish National Party’s £500 million just transition fund. It might be a little bit late, but it is not too late. Better late than never.
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