Chamber and committees

No.

That is helpful. You can send on any other information that you feel would be helpful to the committee.

Paul de Leeuw, your recent report “Powering Up the Workforce” talks about the scale of the opportunity and risk for workers in the north-east from the transition. What do Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Enterprise need to do to make sure that they can meet the challenge that you set out in that report?

That is interesting. Yes, it is a problem that we want to have and then to tackle.

Your report also talks about how that workforce will be very different. It states:

“A new workforce model will emerge, with future jobs concentrated around key energy clusters across the UK. There will be a more transient workforce, with an increased focus on capex and vocational work, resulting in people moving from project to project across the country.”

That flexibility will bring its own challenges. What are the implications of that changing workforce for the north-east of Scotland?

Having a workforce that could come and go, presumably potentially on lower incomes than the ones that exist at the moment in the oil and gas industry, must bring with it a huge threat to the delivery of a just transition, and that will have a big impact on the north-east of Scotland.

I am sure that we could talk for hours on this issue. However, my convener will probably stop me doing so, so I will stop there.

I see John Boland nodding—

That was really helpful.

That was very helpful.

I am tempted to ask Maggie McGinlay whether there are any areas in the sector where she thinks that there are no skills shortages at the moment. Obviously, you will be speaking all the time to the businesses that you work with. Are these skills shortage issues familiar? Again, what actions does the Government need to take to support that challenge?

I am just trying to get an understanding of the scale of the issue. Is this a gap that we can realistically close?

Good morning. An issue that is highlighted in the submissions that we have received is the challenge of skills shortages in the energy sector. The Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce submission mentions its spring 2023 energy transition survey and says that there are already challenges for businesses with regard to worker shortages. In your experience, is there already evidence of skills shortages in the energy sector? What specifically do you require from Government to support you in tackling those shortages?

Emma Harrick is nodding, so I invite her to comment. I appreciate that the Scottish Renewables submission highlights quite a few shortages. Where are they at the moment?