Skills Development Scotland is to play a major role in an
initiative to support employers who wish to develop their
employees' skills in low carbon technologies.
The 650 new places, to be delivered through Skills Development
Scotland, are being funded with the support of the European Social
Fund as part of the Scottish Government's drive to maximise the
economic benefits of greener business.
Education Secretary Michael Russell made the announcement at
Jiao Tong University in Shanghai where he was joined by Scotland's
University experts in marine, solar and bio-energy and prominent
Chinese academics in energy studies.
The Education Secretary said:
"Scotland has a global lead in renewable energy. The Scottish
Government has invested millions to develop our competitive edge in
clean, green energy and we are equally committed to helping
industry move to low carbon products and services.
"We have the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in the
world. Our ambitions for a greener and wealthier Scotland match our
vast potential to capitalise on our natural advantage in renewable
energy on a global scale, and we have the natural resources and the
desire to become a leading low carbon economy. Of course, we need
the right people, with the right skills and expertise to continue
attracting our share of the billions of pounds of investment in
green energy."
Damien Yeates, Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland,
said:
"Skills Development Scotland is committed to equipping people
with the training and skills they need to fulfil their potential,
helping businesses fulfil their goals.
"The Scottish Government, SDS and our partners are dedicated to
supporting and funding areas where new workforce skills are
required to capitalise on opportunities and developments in
renewables and low carbon fields.
"The low carbon skills fund will provide businesses with access
to sector specific training to help improve their performance,
efficiency and improvement processes around low carbon. By
developing a highly skilled, more confident workforce Scotland will
be able to maximise the benefits of its natural resources in these
vital emerging sectors."
The Scottish Government, with the support of European Social
Fund money, has invested £585,000 to fund these training places
this year.
The fund will be open to all private sector, voluntary and
community-not-for-profit organisations, employing fewer than
250 staff, whose current or intended business activity is in
renewable energy, energy efficiency, and/or carbon reduction. The
initial focus will be on skill needs within the built environment,
including microgeneration, and energy efficiency.
To qualify for the funded training places, businesses must
demonstrate their work fits with the following:
- Increasing energy efficiency of products and/or the built
environment
- Increasing energy efficiency relating to process
improvements
- Installing lower carbon products or renewable energy
resources
Skills Development Scotland is working closely with Sector
Skills Councils to deliver this training initiative. The following
Sector Skills Councils are involved: Construction Skills, Energy
and Utility Skills, ProSkills, Summit Skills and Asset Skills. The
Low Carbon Skills Fund will be available for companies operating
within those sectors. Companies wanting more information and to
find out which Sector Skills Council applies to their business
should contact Skills Development Scotland on 0800 783 6000.
