North East Scotland College - National Energy Skills Accelerator

NESA Building skills for a just energy transition

North East Scotland College - National Energy Skills Accelerator in collaboration with North East Scotland College, Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen

Over the 2023/24 academic year National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) has enabled hundreds of people to seize the opportunity for green energy training, helping drive net zero in the North East of Scotland.

With support from Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray, NESA delivered 15 new energy transition related training courses and over 700 fully funded training places at our partner institutions of Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen, and North East Scotland College. The training courses covered SCQF levels 5-11 and were offered in full/part-time and on/off-campus formats in order to increase accessibility to green energy education opportunities.

This project has enabled more individuals to gain the knowledge and skills needed to support industry towards a just transition and created pathways for those looking to join the industry or progress their careers in green energy sectors.

Top 3 Learnings

1. In an increasingly tight funding environment, collaboration is key to filling energy skills gaps.
2. Clear communication of green energy job roles is crucial to attract people into the sector.
3. Accessible education pathways, including up-/re-skilling for oil workers, are critical for a just energy transition.