Government fuels green skills drive for Aberdeenshire’s oil and gas workers

AROUND 200 oil and gas workers in Aberdeenshire, Scotland will receive “tailored” skills training for green jobs as part of the UK government’s energy transition efforts.

As part of the government's Plan for Change, Aberdeenshire has been identified along with Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire as “key growth regions” for clean energy.

Using the £900,000 (US$1.2m) Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, former and current oil and gas workers will receive careers advice and funding for training courses to help them transition into a range of energy sectors, including offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Michael Shanks, energy minister for the UK, said: “This funding will help deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea, unlocking the full potential of renewable energy and reaping the economic benefits from the skills and experiences of Aberdeen’s workforce.”

Acorn investment

Aberdeenshire is home to some of the UK’s most important energy businesses, with a direct connection to the North Sea via the St Fergus gas terminal, which processes around a third of the UK’s natural gas supply.

According to council statistics, employment in the “energy growth sector” is highest in Aberdeen City, with 23,000 workers, and Aberdeenshire, with 7,000 – accounting for 35.4% and 10.8% of Scotland’s sector employment respectively.

The UK government is investing millions in the region’s burgeoning renewables sector, last month confirming a £200m investment in the Acorn project.

Acorn, backed by Shell, Harbour Energy and North Sea Midstream Partners (NSMP), plans to capture CO2 – initially from the St Fergus gas terminal – and store it in depleted gas reservoirs beneath the North Sea.

Swift transition

Aishwarya Lakshmanan made the “hugely beneficial” move from oil and gas to offshore wind and now works at Ocean Winds, a joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE. She said: It’s great to see the funding announcement from UK government to support others to make the transition.”

To be eligible for the scheme, workers must be a resident or work for an employer who has an office based in Aberdeen City or Aberdeenshire. Alternatively, they must have worked in the oil and gas industry in the last two years.

Chemical engineers affected by oil and gas redundancies have access to IChemE’s redundancy support hub which includes advice, tools and links to financial assistance through the Chemical Engineers Benevolent Fund.