Led by industry and supported by £3.7 million of Scottish Government Just Transition funding between 2022 and 2024, the Energy Skills Passport will initially support workers to identify routes into several roles in the offshore wind sector.

As part of the Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK-led pilot, which is also being supported by the UK Government, oil and gas workers will be able to gain a clear understanding of what further qualifications they may need to work in different careers.

The move is part of wider Scottish Government work to ensure a just transition to net zero – and seeks to ensure that oil and gas workers are supported as part of a fair and managed transition. It is hoped that once fully operational the passport will help support a pipeline of workers needed to deliver clean power by 2030.

Acting cabinet secretary Gillian Martin said: “It is absolutely vital that we recognise and retain the considerable skills of oil and gas workers and ensure they are supported, as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring a fair and just transition for Scotland.

“That’s why the Scottish Government has provided £3.7m of funding to support oil and gas and renewables industries to jointly develop the Energy Skills Passport – helping to ensure that the skills, experience and expertise of oil and gas workers are harnessed and that they are ready to apply for the long term sustainable jobs that are created as part of our fair and managed transition to net zero.

“The Scottish Government’s support on the passport will help ensure the economic transformation is managed fairly for workers in existing industries and the communities that underpin them. I welcome the pilot phase of the passport, which has been three years in the making and I look forward to seeing further developments in the coming months.”

Offshore Energies UK’s director of supply chain & people, Katy Heidenreich said: “We are pleased to be working with RenewableUK to launch the Energy Skills Passport.

“The UK’s offshore energy workforce has a proud heritage and continues to have high value jobs in oil and gas, which support a broad range of skills from engineering and construction to legal and commercial expertise. These skills are essential for the homegrown oil and gas the UK needs for decades to come together with the expansion in energy production we’ll need in future.

“This passport is all about helping people working in this industry to make informed decisions about their jobs and future. As we build a homegrown low carbon future, this passport can help them succeed in projects right across our diverse energy mix. We now look forward to working with policymakers to help unlock and enable the business investment we need for a new generation of good, high-value jobs and opportunities for firms and their people.”

Renewable UK’s executive director of offshore wind Jane Cooper said: “More than a hundred thousand people will be working in the UK’s offshore wind industry by 2030, mostly in highly skilled roles. To grow our world-class industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that oil and gas workers can bring.

“The Energy Skills Passport which we’re launching today with our OEUK colleagues offers a gateway for people to make this transition by helping them to identify which offshore wind roles which would suit them best, and setting out in detail the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.

“It’s a practical tool which demonstrates our determination to bring the tangible benefits of the energy transition to workers right across the energy sector.”