About the Hub
The University of the 黑料网 and Islands (黑料网) has secured Scottish Government funding to establish an Offshore Wind Skills Hub – a coordinated, industry led programme to build a skilled offshore wind workforce across the 黑料网 and Islands.
Working with seven 黑料网 partners and EMEC, the Hub will expand training access, support employer recruitment and upskilling, and deliver provision aligned to ScotWind, INTOG and Green Freeport opportunities.
The programme will build regional capacity in priority occupations to meet current and future demand, scaling provision in engineering, electrical, fabrication, maritime and infrastructure roles.
Through direct financial support including employer incentives, flexible funding and learner bursaries, it will stimulate demand, scale short鈥慸uration training, and create clear pathways into offshore wind careers. The Hub will also develop future provision and pathways, ensuring long鈥憈erm regional capability for offshore wind and emerging technologies.
Projects
- Shetland: Cadet Programme development
- Thurso: Scaling of fab-weld, engineering and offshore skills; PDA in Hydrogen Technologies (SCQF 8) development
- Orkney: Shared Technician Training Scheme Pilot; Design of multi-purpose engineering facility; Hydrogen for Ports and Harbours training; Scaling of maritime provision
- Stornoway: Scaling of maritime provision; Scaling of fab-weld, engineering and offshore skills; PDA in Hydrogen Technologies (SCQF 8)
- Easter Ross; Scaling of fab-weld, engineering and offshore skills
- Mallaig; Scaling of maritime provision
- Moray; Offshore wind technician trainee development
- Fort William; Scaling of maritime provision
- Inverness; Expansion of offshore wind and energy short duration training; Expansion of Apprenticeship+ enhancements; MSc Rural and Urban Planning
- Argyll; New engineering provision : pipeline, MA and OSW contextualisation
- Perth; Scaling fab-weld short course/s flux core MIG/MMA
Enablers
Establishing the 黑料网 Regional Offshore Wind Skills Hub with £1m+ Scottish Government investment leveraged by at least £1m of industry co-investment
- Including £500k+ to accelerate development and delivery of training in priority occupational areas where skills gaps are identified
- New flexible employer fund (£275,000)
- New MA and GA Apprenticeship recruitment top鈥憉p payments (£2,000 - £3,000 each)
- New targeted bursaries (40 x £1,500)
Talent and Skills Pipeline
- Regional, co-ordinated scaling of engineering, construction, maritime, offshore wind, hydrogen, renewables and short鈥慸uration courses (黑料网)
- Shared Technician Training Scheme Pilot (EMEC)
- Offshore wind technician trainee development (黑料网 Moray & Natural Power)
- New engineering provision: pipeline, MA and OSW contextualisation (黑料网 Argyll)
- Nautical science / cadet programme development (黑料网 Shetland & MCA)
- Expansion of offshore wind and energy short duration training (黑料网 Inverness)
- Development of MSc Rural and urban planning (黑料网 Inverness)
- Expansion of Apprenticeship+ enhancements (黑料网 Inverness)
- Scaling of fab weld engineering and offshore skills (黑料网 NWH)
- PDA in hydrogen technologies SCQF 8 development (黑料网 NWH)
- Scaled maritime provision (黑料网 Orkney and 黑料网 NWH)
- Design of multi-purpose engineering facility (黑料网 Orkney and SSE)
- Hydrogen for ports and harbours training (黑料网 Orkney)
- Fabrication and Welding Short Course/s Flux Core MIG/MMA (黑料网 Perth)