Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
We recommend that the UK and Scottish Governments work in tandem with industry in identifying...
Recommendation
We recommend that the UK and Scottish Governments work in tandem with industry in identifying the jobs and skills gaps in the existing workforce. Industry should work in cooperation with the UK Government to ensure their policies and initiatives are complementary. Industry alongside the Scottish Government should develop and implement a clear plan for transition and re-training its workforce– in light of the Scottish Government’s presumption against further oil and gas exploration and no nuclear in Scotland–and this could be supported by organisations such as Hydrogen UK. (Paragraph 107) Hydrogen and carbon capture in Scotland 49 Hydrogen for homes
Government Response Summary
The UK Government states it is already supporting green jobs, skills and industries through the North Sea Transition Deal and the Integrated People and Skills Strategy, which was published by OPITO, and that the Hydrogen Sector Development Plan (2022) also covers these issues.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The following is a combined response to recommendations 20, 21 & 22: The UK Government is committed to supporting green jobs, skills and industries. The UK Government will enable workers, places and sectors to transition and develop a skilled workforce through support of the North Sea Transition Deal. A key commitment of the North Sea Transition Deal is to support the transition of existing parts of the oil and gas workforce to ensure that people and skills are transferable across the wider energy sector. To achieve this, Government has supported the development of an Integrated People and Skills Strategy, which was published by the skills body OPITO in May 2022 following wide engagement across the offshore energy sectors. It creates a joined-up approach to people and skills right across the offshore energy industry and sets out how the workforce’s skills and capabilities can be redeployed to benefit the UK’s decarbonisation efforts. Ensuring there are the right skills and capabilities will be critical to achieving our hydrogen ambition. The Hydrogen Sector Development Plan (2022) sets out the government’s aim to work with industry and education providers to understand the skills landscape and build the workforce of the future. As set out in the Government Response to the Net Zero Review, Government and industry also continue to engage with all aspects of the CCUS supply chain, through the CCUS Council Supply Chain working group chaired by Lord Hutton. The CCUS Council’s supply chain activity will support the UK to develop a CCUS supply chain that utilizes the UK’s skills and delivers a high proportion of UK jobs, delivering significant benefits to regional economies in the UK’s industrial heartlands.