Chamber and committees

I will put the same question to Marie Hendry. Is the Open University geared up? Are you making changes in your courses to meet skills shortages?

Good morning, panel. My question follows on from the point that Alexander Burnett made. In the context of oil and gas, in particular, there is a lot of focus on the immediate labour and skills shortages that we face, but we know, not least as a result of COP26 last week, that Governments will make decisions that mean that many people in existing jobs will lose those jobs.

We are told, “That’s fine, because we’ll have a just transition and people will simply move into the new green jobs.” However, the committee heard last week that, when it comes to delivering the just transition, there is no comprehensive understanding of what the jobs will be, never mind a proper map of the skills that will be needed to deliver it. Is that a fair criticism? I will put Chris Brodie on the spot with that question.

Is the work that we are doing being done with the necessary urgency, given the challenges that we face? The Government has a climate change plan, but that will change. Are we geared up and able to adapt so that we can do the planning that will be needed? Whose role is it do that? Will all the individual organisations here do their own work, or is something else needed to grab the issue and run with it in a comprehensive way?

That it is very helpful. I will ask Richard McClelland to come in. I will not ask any other questions, as I am conscious of the time. However, if Marie Hendry or Chris Brodie wants to come back in on what else policymakers can do to assist, they should feel free to do that.

I put the same question to Richard McClelland. You will be adapting the qualifications that you need for the sectors. Is there anything that we can do to assist in that? What work are you doing at the moment?

I will leave it to the convener to say whether you should do that now or afterwards.

We need to be looking at existing workers. There is always a focus on going into schools when you should be going to oil rigs and speaking to the existing workers there. What is being done to help people who are in jobs that will disappear soon?

I put the same question to Paul Little. Feel free to tell us if we policymakers are not doing enough to help you to do the job.

One of the issues for colleges, particularly those in rural areas, is that it is quite easy to deliver a course for which there is a demand for 20 or 30 students, because that makes it financially viable. However, if only 10 very specialist engineers are needed, it is not financially viable to run the class. Is there something that we need to do to support colleges to deliver that work?

That is very useful. Chris, I am not going to ask you for a rebuttal, but I ask you and Marie whether there is anything that we should be doing to assist you in doing that job. One thing that you will know about, Chris—I have spoken to you about it in the past—is flexibility in apprenticeships. I was at a business in the south of Scotland last week where I was asked why apprenticeships take three years and not two years. Flexibility is needed to meet the challenges. Can we do something to assist?

Thank you. I put the same point to Professor Simms.

The clock is obviously ticking and we know that there will be job losses in many sectors as part of the journey to net zero. You are saying that we still do not know what those good jobs will be that will replace those jobs, never mind the skills that will be needed.