UK and Scottish Governments to invest £6m to retrain oil and gas workers for new jobs
The scheme will now offer tailored training support to workers across Scotland, helping them access thousands of new jobs in sectors like renewable energy, life sciences, and defence.
The UK and Scottish Governments are investing £6m to expand a skills programme supporting oil and gas workers in Scotland to move into growing industries such as clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The scheme, which has already helped more than 400 North Sea workers retrain, will now offer tailored training support to workers across Scotland, helping them access thousands of new jobs in sectors like renewable energy, life sciences, and defence.
Workers can apply for support through Skills Development Scotland’s Transition Training Fund, which provides careers advice and funding for training in roles including welding, electrical engineering and construction.
Recent figures show more than 1,500 new jobs have been created in Scotland’s electricity networks in the past two years, with the UK’s wind industry reaching around 55,000 jobs in 2025.
By 2030, over 40,000 new roles are expected in Scotland as the energy sector continues to grow.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks, said: “Thousands of good jobs are being created right now in renewable energy and upgrading our grid and we want to make it as easy as possible for people with skills from the oil and gas industry to take advantage of these opportunities.
“This programme has already been oversubscribed so we are investing to expand it to more skilled workers as part of our commitment to deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander, said: “The expansion of the training scheme will support Scotland’s position at the heart of energy production in the UK.
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