On the 17th of October, the UK government signed an agreement with the Scottish government to bolster their clean energy industry. Scotland is already a giant in renewables, thanks to cutting-edge offshore wind development and strong opportunity pipelines. Alongside this, we have seen updates on the Skills Passport. This recent news is a welcome injection of activity to push the UK closer to a Net Zero future.
A New Age Of Clean Energy In Scotland
The Energy Secretary and Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier are visiting Aberdeen, the headquarters of Great British Energy. Here, they will build partnerships with Scottish public bodies such as the Enterprise Agency, Crown Estate Scotland, and the Scottish Nation Investment Bank. These partnerships will provide a strong base from which they can take decisive action to deliver effective energy projects. By all working together, they avoid problems like duplication and work in a coordinated way.
Great British Energy’s Role
The new agreement boosts Great British Energy’s support for clean energy supply chains and infrastructure in Scotland. With £8.3 billion in funding, GBE is in a position to harness expertise in project development and direct investment. They will work closely with local communities to find the most effective ways to drive innovation and investment to truly make a difference on a local level. If you want to learn more about Great British Energy, you can read our blog post ‘Great British Energy: What Is It?‘.
Great British Energy is well positioned to help accelerate the development of key supply chains and infrastructure.
Great British Energy Chair, Juergen Maier
What Is The Skills Passport?
The Skills Passport is being developed to make it easier for workers to transition into the renewables industry. The initiative is overseen by RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK and supported by the UK and Scottish Governments.
The Skills Passport records an individual’s skills, training, and experience to open up more career opportunities. It will align standards, recognise transferable skills and qualifications and map out career pathways for suitable roles. Importantly, the passport can be used across organisations. By standardising skills, they open the way for workers to transfer into new industries with their existing expertise. Research shows that 90% of workers in oil and gas have transferable skills for offshore renewable jobs. This huge percentage is exactly why the Skills Passport is a vital development. The government has recently pledged to speed up its development. We can look forward to a digital tool for workers in January 2025.
