Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Retaining oil and gas worker skills is vital for Scotland's energy transition.
Conclusion
It is vital that the skills of workers who have made Scotland’s oil and gas industry successful are not lost. We welcome the efforts of both governments to support the development of clean energy jobs and the transfer of skills from the oil and gas sector to other industries. In particular, 57 we welcome the establishment of the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund. Access to an effective training fund will serve as an incentive for workers to transition and shows that the Government is serious about supporting people into the jobs of the future. A Government-led training fund will also improve ministerial accountability and coordination of the North Sea energy transition at a national level. (Conclusion, Paragraph 98)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, announcing its extension and expansion with up to £18 million in joint UK and Scottish government funding from 2026-29. They also detail the new North Sea Jobs Service to provide comprehensive career transition support.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund is an important programme in helping to create a just, fair and prosperous transition for workers in the sector looking to retrain into new roles and for their communities. This will give our existing skilled workforce the opportunity to play a central role in future energy security through roles in clean energy industries. In future years, we will substantially scale up this work, with up to £18 million, jointly funded between the UK and Scottish governments, to extend and broaden the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund from 2026–7 to 2028–9, providing thousands more of Scotland’s valued offshore oil and gas workers with access to bespoke careers advice and funding for the training they need to access roles in sustainable energy. Both governments will work with trade unions and industry to develop and promote this scheme and explore opportunities for additional private investment. In the North Sea Future Plan, we announced the North Sea Jobs Service, which will wrap around the Transition Training Fund to provide end-to-end career transition support for oil and gas workers looking to move into secure jobs in growing industries. It will work closely with industry to identify vacancies and match eligible workers to prospective employers.