Training group is undaunted by scale of project

Aberdeen’s Oil and Gas Technology Centre has estimated making the North Sea the focus of an “integrated” energy system including offshore wind, CCUS and hydrogen, could create 200,000 jobs but would require £430 billion of investment.

Undaunted, Opito recently announced the launch of a suite of safety and technical training standards and qualifications aimed specifically at the renewable energy industry in readiness for an expected increase in demand for green jobs.

In addition, a new “transition standard” will enable learners to develop the skills and competencies required to work in the offshore wind sector, while recognising prior training undertaken training relevant to oil and gas.

John McDonald, chief executive of Opito, is bullish about prospects for providing skills for the growing industry: “Absolutely. The oil and gas supply chain and the people it employs has many of the transferrable skills needed for the successful development of offshore wind, hydrogen and CCUS. As the future energy system becomes more integrated, it is vital that people working in the energy supply chain are able to use their skills across different areas of the energy mix.

“With our abundant natural resources and the strong commitment of the UK and Scottish governments, we’re experiencing a period of rapid growth in offshore wind, both fixed and floating. There’s 14GW of projects either in planning or already consented. These developments will benefit from the experience of our energy supply chain and the expertise the many thousands of highlyskilled people it employs to deliver an integrated net zero energy system.”

John McDonald, chief executive of Opito.