The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has committed £400,000 to support the delivery of the new Energy Transition Skills Hub in the North East of Scotland.

This investment will specifically fund the equipping and fitting out of a modern welding academy within the facility, featuring 32 welding bays, to address the increasing demand for skilled welders in the region.

The Energy Transition Skills Hub is a collaborative initiative driven by the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ Ltd), Shell UK, and North East Scotland College (NESCol), as part of a wider consortium involving both private and public investment. The ECITB's contribution, drawn from its investment in regional skills hubs, aims to further bolster the establishment and operation of the training facility, which is designed to meet the current and future skills requirements of the energy transition.

Andrew Hockey, ECITB Chief Executive, highlighted the critical need for skilled workers: "Our Labour Forecasting Tool predicts that the ECI [Engineering Construction Industry] could need thousands of additional workers over the coming years for major projects, including those that contribute to the country's net zero goals. Without a pipeline of trained, skilled workers all this risks not being achieved, which is why we're working with industry partners in the UK's industrial cluster regions to grow the number of skilled engineers and craftspeople we need now and in the future."

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He added: "As an integral part of workforce development and supporting the pipeline of new recruits into the energy industry, the Skills Hub will be central to the success of the long-term project to support the transition to renewable energies in North East Scotland. The ECITB is delighted to support the project, with the proposal highlighting the commitment of industry partners to be involved in the designing, equipping and curriculum planning for the facility.”

The project has already secured significant backing, including £4.5 million from the Scottish Government's Just Transition Fund, £2.3 million from ETZ Ltd, and £500,000 from NESCol. This initial funding is transforming a disused dairy adjacent to NESCol's Aberdeen Altens Campus into a state-of-the-art skills facility. Shell UK has also pledged £1.8 million towards the Hub's running costs for the first five years, with the aim of supporting 1,000 jobs in the region, which is situated within the 40-hectare Energy Transition Zone.

The Hub will offer a flexible curriculum, including weekend and evening courses, to improve training accessibility for individuals who may face barriers to traditional learning, such as adult returners. It will also feature community space for local groups. An outreach mobile vehicle will promote careers in the energy sector, visiting all 27 secondary schools in North East Scotland and potentially reaching 15,000 pupils annually.

The ECITB will join an industry liaison group, alongside the founding partners and other industry representatives, to help shape the curriculum. Subject areas to be covered by NESCol at the Hub will include welding, wind energy, general engineering and fabrication skills, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), renewables, hydrogen, and electrical skills.

Robin McGregor, NESCol Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality, said: "The Energy Transition Skills Hub is a hugely significant project for the college and our partners. NESCol works very closely with industry to ensure the skills required in the jobs market are reflected in the courses we offer and the learning environment we create, with the new facility underlining the ambition the partners share as a driving force in the journey to net zero."

The ECITB's Regional Skills Hubs funding aims to enhance training provider capacity and increase the number of new entrants in key industrial clusters to address skills shortages within the engineering construction industry. Grants ranging from £50,000 to £500,000 are available for ECI projects that meet specific criteria.