OPITO and ETZ Ltd Partner to Support All Energy Apprenticeship

OPITO, leading safety and skills organisation for the energy industry, and the Energy Transition Zone Ltd (ETZ Ltd) have announced a funding partnership which will allow OPITO to further develop and enhance existing apprenticeship programmes to support the energy transition in Scotland.

ETZ Ltd has allocated £100,000 to OPITO to further develop the ‘All Energy Apprenticeship’ project and deliver test phases which will help develop the North East of Scotland’s workforce to capitalise on the region’s energy transition ambition. The course content will be piloted throughout 2022 and aims to benefit local communities around the Energy Transition Zone by way of pathways for a career in energy.

The All Energy Apprenticeship (AEA) project is one of the key components of the North Sea Transition Deal ‘People and Skills Plan’ being led by OPITO and supported by the Energy Skills Alliance (ESA), a cross-energy industry and government leadership group. It aims to provide additional qualifications that link multiple energy technician apprenticeship programmes including the Maintenance & Operations Engineering Technician (MOET) standard, Oil and Gas Technical Apprenticeship Programme (OGTAP) and Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) new multi-discipline engineering technician standard currently under development.

Credit rated units in renewable technologies including offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and oil and gas have been created and the work has seen strong collaboration between industry and other skills bodies including ECITB, COGENT and ESP.

Collective industry bodies forecast that by 2030 there will 207, 5000 roles to fill across Oil and Gas, Offshore wind, hydrogen and CCUS which is an increase of 59,000 on 2021.

Maggie McGinlay, CEO of ETZ Ltd, said: “The North East of Scotland is at crucial milestone in its ambition to accelerate energy transition activities toward meeting net zero targets. Providing our workforce, particularly future generations, with the necessary skills and qualifications to progress their careers within the energy sector is absolutely crucial if we are to fully realise this ambition. ETZ Ltd is delighted to be partnering with OPITO to deliver the All Energy Apprenticeship pilot and we are particularly pleased it will benefit young people in the region including those who live in local communities around the Energy Transition Zone.

Andy Williamson, Head of Energy Transition at OPITO, said: “Through our work on the North Sea Transition Deal, we know that, over the next decade, workforce demand will likely outstrip potential supply due to the acceleration of infrastructure developments and net zero targets, combined with strong competition from other offshore regions and various industrial sectors.

“Building on our 50-year legacy providing standards, training and apprenticeship programmes for the energy industry, this work will offer wraparound qualifications which will allow technicians from oil and gas to supplement their skills and knowledge while ensuring that safety standards and workforce mobility remain paramount.

“We are delighted to have received this funding from ETZ Ltd which will strengthen our partnership and shared objectives to create pathways that will maximise economic benefit and workforce mobility in support of the energy transition in Scotland.”