A new landmark workforce academy has been launched in Scotland as part of a drive to recruit more people into green jobs.

The recruitment drive from SP Energy Networks will see 152 green jobs on offer over the next four months under the New Green Jobs Workforce Academy.

Visiting the SP Energy Networks' training centre, Dealain House to announce the new academy, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "To help tackle climate change Scotland is already investing in green skills and attracting new green job opportunities. It is great to see ScottishPower creating 135 new green jobs in Scotland and I would encourage other employers to follow their lead. The Academy's career advisors stand ready to support individuals interested in these jobs access the right training to help their career progress.

"Looking ahead to COP26 in Glasgow in November, Scotland can be proud that our climate change ambitions, backed by investment in creating a highly skilled green workforce, will be showcased on an international stage."

The 152 green jobs will be at the forefront of work to enhance the electricity network to enable the rapid uptake of renewables and low carbon technologies needed to help Scotland and the wider UK reach its Net Zero target.

Frank Mitchell, CEO of SP Energy Networks, commented: "With less than 100 days to go to COP26 in Glasgow, we're bringing truly green jobs to Scotland to support the country with its ambitions to be Net Zero by 2045. These roles offer a variety of career opportunities in a company that is committed to Net Zero and is investing millions of pounds every single day to help bring about a cleaner, greener future."

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The majority of roles will be based in Central and Southern Scotland where SP Energy Networks is responsible for the operation and maintenance of over 4,000km of cables and lines that make up the transmission network. This network connects generation infrastructure like windfarms into the electricity system and transports that electricity onto towns and cities.

Over the next five years, SP Energy Networks is investing £2 billion in its transmission network to support the increase in renewable energy needed to meet Scotland's climate change targets and to ensure a resilient and reliant network fit for the future as electricity demand grows.

To help deliver this investment, SP Energy Networks is recruiting 126 candidates who will work across a number of major projects to build a transmission network fit for Net Zero. This increases the staff employed in SP Energy Networks Transmission business by over 25% and is on top of the 135 apprentices and graduates across SP Energy Networks who started this year. An additional 26 positions will be recruited into SP Energy Networks Distribution business to accelerate projects that support Net Zero ambitions.

These posts offer long-term, skilled roles across varying disciplines including engineering, project management, construction, environmental planning and sustainability. 

Mr Mitchell added: "We currently directly employ around 2,700 staff and over the next 12 months we are embarking on our largest recruitment drive in over 20 years. This demonstrates the scale of work we're about to begin, investing billions in our network to help the UK reach its climate change targets.  In our transmission business alone, we're investing £2bn out to 2026 and we're only just beginning. We also have very ambitious plans for our distribution businesses, and if our plans are agreed with Ofgem, we will be expanding these new 152 roles considerably.

"The opportunities we have range from Planning Engineers to Programme Analysts to Project Managers and offer long-term, green jobs that will be right at the heart of the transition to Net Zero through a green economic recovery.

"We're about to start work on a number of major projects critical to helping Scotland achieve its climate ambitions and you could be part of it. I would encourage anyone with an interest to come forward and see if a career with SP Energy Networks is for you."