Trade unions have welcomed the introduction of a long-awaited “energy skills passport” to help North Sea oil and gas workers move to green industries.
The £3.7million pilot scheme will help workers identify employment in the offshore wind sector and advise them on what extra qualifications they might need. However, unions warned more urgent action and investment is needed to make the “just transition” from fossil fuels to clean energy a reality.
And they said a “clear plan” is needed to safeguard jobs amid warnings of a North Sea “cliff-edge” for workers as oil runs out. It comes as Scotland’s last oil refinery in Grangemouth is set to closer later this year, risking hundreds of skilled jobs.
The Energy Skills Passport, backed by governments at both Holyrood and Westminster, was originally supposed to launch in 2023. STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “This is a belated but ultimately welcome announcement from the UK and Scottish Government on the introduction of a skills passport.
“We know our oil and gas workers have transferable skills and experience that are vital across the energy sector. It’s correct that government have recognised this, and the skills passport will provide an important platform to build on. But this cannot be the end if we are to realise a just transition.
“We need sustained investment from both governments to protect and enhance workers’ incomes, health and safety and workplace rights. It is imperative that government listens to our voices, with unions around the table at every turn, ensuring workers and their communities are not scarred by the failed transitions of the past.”
John Boland, chairman for the Offshore Co-ordinating Group of trade unions, said: “When fully developed, it has the potential to make it easier for workers to move between sectors. But on its own the skills passport is not going to achieve a just transition for offshore oil and gas workers.
“Urgent action is needed to protect offshore workers and supply chain jobs currently at risk from decommissioning. There needs to be a clear plan to safeguard incomes, trade union rights and safety standards.”
The scheme is being led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK. Scotland’s Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “The Scottish Government’s support on the passport will help ensure the economic transformation is managed fairly for workers in existing industries and the communities that underpin them.
“I welcome the pilot phase of the passport, which has been three years in the making and I look forward to seeing further developments in the coming months.”
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