Scotland's Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, has officially opened Aurora's new £1.2 million Renewable Energy Training Centre in Inverness.

This facility is unique in serving the Scottish Highlands and is set to play a crucial role in the country's transition to net zero. In its first year, the centre has already trained over 1,000 individuals and aims to train more than 2,000 workers annually, who will be vital to Scotland's renewable energy future.

The 11,000 sq ft centre eliminates the need for prospective wind sector workers from the Highlands, Western Isles, and Orkney to travel to other regions for essential safety and technical training qualifications. Its modern amenities include classrooms, audio-visual equipment, overhead craneage, working-at-height and rope access frames, a mock turbine nacelle, and a sea survival tank. The centre holds accreditations from the Global Wind Organisation, Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, making it the Highlands' only triple-badged training facility of its kind.

Aurora's commitment to Scotland's energy transition has been supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and a £20 million debt facility package from the Scottish National Investment Bank. Aurora is also a member of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport consortium, which aims to create over 11,000 jobs and attract approximately £6.5 billion in investment to the Highlands, with over £3.5 billion forecast within the next five years, focusing on renewable and low-carbon energy industries.

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Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes stated: "Workers are at the heart of Scotland's just transition and it's vital we plan for a multi-skilled workforce and enable offshore workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles as the energy sector evolves." She highlighted the centre as an example of the Scottish Government's support through Green Freeports and its funding for the college sector's Offshore Wind Skills Programme.

Doug Duguid, Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Energy Services, noted, "Establishing the training centre has provided a bridge between Scotland's proud oil and gas energy heritage and our renewable energy future." He emphasized the critical need for a skilled workforce to construct, maintain, and service the vast wind-related infrastructure required for Scotland to meet its 2045 net-zero targets, particularly given the struggles of wind energy project operators and developers to recruit staff with prerequisite competencies.

Brian Robson, senior development manager at HIE's Inner Moray Firth team, added: "As demand for energy skills rises, Aurora's new renewable energy training centre will play a crucial role in developing fresh talent and retaining experienced workers."

The training centre directly addresses a significant skills shortage identified by the Offshore Wind Industry Council, which forecasts a need for nearly 89,000 jobs in the UK offshore wind sector by 2026—an increase of 56,000 from the current workforce. To manage the projected UK offshore wind project pipeline, the industry needs to attract and retain an average of 10,000 people per year. Aurora's comprehensive training program focuses on both retraining experienced oil and gas sector workers and preparing new entrants for deployment in renewable energy.

Since its launch in June 2022, Inverness-headquartered Aurora has rapidly grown into one of the UK's fastest-growing energy services providers, with additional bases in Aberdeen, Wick, and Huntly, and plans for further expansion across the UK. The company currently employs 700 staff globally across Scotland, Australia, North America, and South America, and projects a full-year 2025 revenue of £85 million as part of its strategy to achieve £250 million turnover within the next five years. Aurora recently received the Contribution to Skills Award at Scottish Renewables' Green Energy Awards in recognition of its role in reskilling workers.