Scotland’s Skills Hub: Building the Workforce for 60,000 Green Jobs by 2030

So whilst we’ve been talking about green jobs rhetoric in England, Scotland has just opened something that’s actually pretty impressive. First Minister John Swinney officially opened Scotland’s largest energy transition skills hub in Aberdeen last month, and honestly, the scale and coordination of this project is worth paying attention to. 

The £10 Million Facility: What’s Actually There 

The Energy Transition Skills Hub isn’t just another training centre with a couple of classrooms and some tools. This is a £10 million facility built on the site of a former dairy, and it includes: 

• State-of-the-art welding academy 

• Advanced manufacturing zone 

• Future technology digital training suites 

The hub is expected to support around 1,000 people into jobs with a focus on energy transition during the first five years of operation. And here’s the key bit: it’s already operational. The facility is currently providing training for 42 welding students and 27 engineering students this academic year. 

The Funding Model: How They Actually Paid for It 

Through a private-public sector partnership model, the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) secured backing from multiple sources: 

• Scottish Government Just Transition Fund: £4.5 million 

• Shell UK: £1.8 million 

• North East Scotland College (NESCol): £500,000 

• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB): £400,000 

• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN): £150,000 

• Remainder: Ongoing support from Scottish and UK Governments 

Total investment: £10 million. 

This is coordinated funding with genuine accountability, not just government announcements with vague timelines. 

Why Aberdeen? The Geographic Logic 

Aberdeen is recognised around the world as a hub of energy excellence, built on decades of oil and gas expertise. But here’s the reality: the North East of Scotland faces a massive transition challenge. A report in June warned the industry could lose up to 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years unless action is taken. 

The hub’s location makes strategic sense because 75% of Scotland’s 45.5 GW total installed and planned offshore wind pipeline sits within 100 nautical miles of Aberdeen. You’ve got existing energy infrastructure, an experienced workforce, and proximity to where the actual renewable projects are being built. 

First Minister John Swinney said: “The North East has long been a titan in the oil and gas industry and it is only right we support the talented and skilled workforce to move into new roles in the evolving sustainable energy sector.” 

The Just Transition Approach: More Than Just Training 

Here’s where Scotland’s approach differs from a lot of what we’ve seen elsewhere. They’re explicitly calling this a “just transition,” which means they’re acknowledging that workers currently in oil and gas need supported pathways into renewables. 

An additional £450,000 funding boost was announced alongside the hub opening to get more oil and gas workers into renewables. This will mean an additional 100 offshore oil and gas workers can access support to help them upskill and reskill into the sustainable energy sector. 

The hub is providing accessible training, blending provision for full-time students with opportunities for upskilling and reskilling through part-time, evening, and weekend courses. So if you’re currently working in oil and gas and can’t afford to quit your job to retrain, there are options that work around your schedule. 

Scotland’s Green Jobs Target: The Context 

Scotland is aiming for significant green job creation as part of its net zero by 2045 target. In 2022, 3.3% of all job adverts in Scotland were for jobs that have a positive impact on the environment, up from 1.7% in 2021. Scotland has the highest concentration of green jobs in the UK based on the size of its labour market. 

Various estimates suggest Scotland could create between 60,000 and 130,000 green jobs by 2030, depending on investment levels and policy support. The renewable energy industry already supports more than 11,500 jobs in Scotland, with significant potential for growth. 

The Scottish Government has set ambitious renewable energy targets: 

• 50% of Scotland’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 

• Additional 12 GW of installed onshore wind capacity by 2030 

• 8-11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 

• 4-6 GW of solar by 2030 

Meeting these targets requires a skilled workforce, which is exactly what the Energy Transition Skills Hub is designed to deliver. 

What This Means for UK Electricians: The Bigger Picture 

Here’s why this matters even if you’re based in Birmingham or London: 

1. Cross-Border Opportunities

The UK electrical industry isn’t neatly divided by borders. UK electricians work across Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. If Scotland is investing heavily in offshore wind, solar, and battery storage infrastructure, those are employment opportunities for qualified sparks willing to travel or relocate. 

2. Skills That Transfer

The training being delivered at the Aberdeen hub (welding, advanced manufacturing, digital systems for energy management) complements electrical qualifications. An electrician with NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition, plus specialist renewables training is exactly the profile these projects need. 

3. Grid Modernisation Work

Scotland’s push to decarbonise its electricity supply by 2029 (six years earlier than the rest of the UK) means massive grid infrastructure work. T-Levels integrating BS 7671 for grid modernisation are creating pathways for young people, but experienced electricians with proper qualifications are needed to actually deliver the projects. 

4. The Just Transition Model

Scotland’s explicit focus on supporting oil and gas workers’ shift to solar, wind, and battery roles shows what coordinated workforce development actually looks like. It’s not just “here’s a course, good luck finding work.” It’s pathway programmes with employer connections built in. 

The Training Provider Perspective: What Elec Training Can Learn 

At Elec Training, we’re always looking at what works elsewhere and how we can apply those lessons to better support our learners. 

What Scotland’s Energy Transition Skills Hub demonstrates: 

Employer Integration from Day One 

The hub is a collaboration between government, education (NESCol), and industry (Shell, ECITB, SSEN). Employers aren’t just hiring graduates – they’re involved in designing what gets taught. 

Flexible Delivery Models 

Part-time, evening, and weekend courses alongside full-time provision means they’re not forcing career changers into an all-or-nothing situation. You can upskill whilst staying employed. 

Regional Economic Development 

The hub isn’t just about training individuals. It’s positioned as the anchor project for Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone, supporting regional economic renewal as oil and gas declines. 

Clear Targets with Accountability 

1,000 people into jobs in five years. That’s specific, measurable, and tied to £10 million in funding. Not vague promises about hundreds of thousands of jobs by some distant future date. 

What UK Electricians Should Actually Do 

If you’re interested in renewable energy work (whether in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK), here’s the practical approach: 

1. Get Your Core Qualifications Sorted

You need your NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition, and ECS Gold Card as your foundation. Scottish employers hiring for offshore wind, solar farms, or grid infrastructure projects will expect these as minimum. 

2. Add Strategic Specialist Skills

Once you’ve got your foundation, add renewable energy competencies: 

• EV charging installation 

• Solar PV systems 

• Battery storage 

• Smart grid technology 

These work across borders. The technical standards are similar whether you’re installing an EV charger in London or Aberdeen. 

3. Be Geographically Flexible

If you’re serious about renewable energy work, be prepared to go where the projects are. Scotland’s offshore wind pipeline is massive. England’s solar and EV infrastructure is growing. Wales has tidal and wave energy projects. Work follows investment. 

4. Work with Providers Who Have Real Employment Connections

At Elec Training, our in-house recruitment team doesn’t just work with Birmingham employers. We have connections with companies operating across the UK (including Scotland) who need qualified electricians for renewable energy projects. That’s the model that actually works: training + genuine employment pathways. 

The Reality Check: It’s Not All Perfect 

To be fair, Scotland faces challenges too. They’re projected to have the largest share of regional job losses as a result of the transition to net zero (9.4% of total jobs expected to be lost), so-called “sunset jobs.” The hub is trying to offset those losses by creating new opportunities, but it’s not a simple swap. 

And let’s be honest: opening one £10 million hub doesn’t instantly solve the workforce needs for tens of thousands of green jobs. It’s a start, but Scotland (like the rest of the UK) needs sustained, long-term investment in training infrastructure and employer engagement. 

The Bottom Line: Coordination Matters 

What Scotland’s Energy Transition Skills Hub demonstrates is that coordinated workforce development actually works. When you bring together government funding, education providers, industry partners, and employers from the start, you create genuine pathways from training to employment. 

For UK electricians, the lesson is this: renewable energy work is growing across all of the UK, not just one region. But the opportunities go to people who are properly qualified, strategically upskilled, and working with training providers who can actually connect them to employers. 

Don’t chase headlines about green jobs. Chase qualifications, competencies, and connections. 

Want to discuss how to position yourself for renewable energy opportunities across the UK? 

Call us on 0330 822 5337. Our team (including our in-house recruiters who work with employers across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) will give you an honest assessment of where you are, what you need, and what opportunities actually exist. 

No hype. Just practical guidance on building a career in an industry that’s genuinely growing – if you approach it the right way.