The Scottish Government and the UK Government have announced a combined £18 million funding boost for the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, aimed at supporting thousands of North Sea workers as they move into the sustainable energy sector.

Each government will invest £9m over the next three years to enable oil and gas workers to access careers advice and funding for training in sustainable energy industries.

The scheme, which was launched as a pilot programme in June, has received £1.39m in initial funding and is already set to support at least 300 workers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire this financial year. The additional £18m will allow thousands more workers to be supported by 2029. Both governments will now work alongside trade unions and industry partners to develop and promote the scheme.

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Energy Secretary Gillian Martin welcomed the expanded funding, stating that Scotland's expertise and renewable energy resources will "deliver new economic opportunities and new jobs for households and communities across the country."

The expanded funding "will support more offshore workers to take on different roles across the sustainable energy sector over the next three years – helping to deliver a fair and managed transition to the sector," she added. The Scottish Government is committed to exploring further support options, including guaranteed interview schemes and skills passporting.

UK Government Energy Secretary Ed Miliband emphasised that the clean energy jobs boom will deliver "a new generation of good industrial jobs," placing Scotland at the heart of the clean energy revolution. He stated that the plan is pro-worker and pro-jobs, ensuring young people in Scotland can have "well-paid secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders."

This new funding adds to the over £120m already invested by the Scottish Government in the North East through the Just Transition Fund and the Energy Transition Fund to secure the region's highly skilled workforce for the net zero future.