An initiative involving the University of Aberdeen which aims to provide the energy sector with the skills and talent to meet the challenges of the energy transition has been awarded £1,000,000 by the Scottish Government.
The National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) is a collaborative initiative between the University, Robert Gordon University (RGU), and North East Scotland College (NESCol), supported by key partners Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Ltd.
Supporting the changing needs of energy sector employers and the workforce as they respond to energy transition opportunities, NESA aims to accelerate the upskilling and reskilling of both the existing and future workforce.
The funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund* will be used over the next two years to conduct an exciting new Pilot Energy Transition Skills project, which will enable NESA to determine the skills required to meet the needs of a just energy transition.
The project will leverage the expertise of the region’s leading academic institutions to assess the energy transition skills landscape from now until 2030, and design pilot training programmes.
The pilot programmes will support people in joining the energy transition by creating accessible, demand-driven courses to attract new entrants, reskilling opportunities for people impacted by redundancy or transferring from other sectors such as oil and gas, and upskilling options to improve regional job retention. The pilot scheme will be a testing ground for innovative and novel delivery methods and pave the way for future large-scale programmes. This project will help establish Scotland’s north-east and Moray as an energy transition hub, bringing further investment and opportunities to the regions’ workforce and communities.
Professor John Underhill, the University of Aberdeen’s Director of Energy Transition and NESA Chair, said:
“This is a great example of collaboration between the University, RGU and NESCol – together with SDS and ETZ – that has led to funding to help deliver new knowledge on the green energy skills landscape of the future and develop innovative new pilot training programmes.
“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.
“Through its partner organisations and industry partnerships, NESA embodies the collaboration that will be key to maximising the workforce opportunities that energy transition brings. This funding will enable us to develop a robust Just Transition Skills Plan for the energy sector, and design scalable pilot training programmes to the local and regional workforce. NESA aims to establish a legacy that benefits the Northeast of Scotland for years to come.”