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Sector Deal - Supply Chain & Skills Update

Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal Update: Supply Chain and Skills

Achieving 20GW of onshore wind by 2030 has the potential to create thousands of skilled jobs, provide opportunities for supply chain growth, and support a just transition.

The development of the supply chain for onshore wind in Scotland is crucial to providing both an opportunity for sustainable economic development and in delivering an increased volume of projects by 2030. The available level of skilled and experienced staff for industry, Government (local and national), agencies, and regulators needs to grow to be sufficient to facilitate the 2030 ambitions.

The Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal includes 9 commitments that will support building the skilled workforce and supply chain required to meet onshore wind ambitions:

  • Analysing the skills and jobs needed for the onshore wind sector moving forward. and providing a national, strategic framework for skills.
  • Supporting the enhancement of skills and training provision for apprenticeships, further and higher education areas of study.
  • Identifying a portal system onshore wind developers can use to advertise supply chain needs and opportunities for offshore wind and onshore wind industries to coordinate.
  • Using the pipeline analysis to identify areas of potential onshore wind clusters and pursue opportunities for O&M facilities.

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Developing Skilled Talent

In the Sector Deal, the Scottish Government and the onshore wind sector committed to collaboratively work together to identify the skills needed to deliver the 2030 ambition. From this analysis, the Scottish Government and the onshore wind industry will collaborate with further and higher education sectors and relevant training providers to enhance the current skills and training provision for apprenticeships and higher education areas of study. Following this, the onshore wind sector will commit to an appropriate number of apprenticeships, training opportunities and skilled jobs across the onshore wind sector and related industries for the lifetime of the deal. The Scottish Government will continue to provide a national, strategic framework for skills in Scotland through its various strategy papers.

Who is Involved

The Scottish Government has commissioned consultants Optimat and ITPEnergised to undertake the jobs and skills analysis through ClimateXChange. A steering group including the Scottish Government, Scottish Renewables, and SSE Renewables are supporting this work. Once the analysis is complete, Scottish Renewables will convene a collaborative working group with the further and higher education sectors plus relevant training providers to use the analysis to enhance the current skills and training provision for apprenticeships, academic, transition and vocational modules.

Scottish Renewables will also engage members in creating apprenticeships, training opportunities, and skilled jobs across the sector and related industries for the lifetime of the sector deal. Please contact Megan Amundson, Head of Onshore Wind & Consenting, Scottish Renewables with any queries.

Work Update

  • In May 2024, ClimateXChange published the skills analysis commissioned by the Scottish Government and undertaken by Optimat and ITPEnergised. The final report is now available online.
  • ClimateXChange is now procuring follow-up research on behalf of the Scottish Government to assess training provision to meet the onshore skills need. The invitation to quote for this work closes on 27 June 2024.
  • This research is expected to be published in the autumn. Following publication, Scottish Renewables will convene a stakeholder roundtable to discuss the findings of the report and identify next steps.

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Better Coordination to Grow the Supply Chain

In the Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal, the sector has agreed to publish data on the percentage of local content in the supply chain and O&M arrangements of our projects at the point of commissioning, as well as creating a coordinated approach to promoting supply chain opportunities to support increased local content in projects. Utilising the pipeline analysis, the onshore wind industry is identifying potential clusters of onshore wind development and coordinating investments in O&M facilities and logistics infrastructure.

Who is Involved

Scottish Renewables and its members are taking the lead on implementing these commitments. The Scottish Government has committed to publishing a strategy paper on opportunities to support onshore supply chain development and business diversification and transition. Please contact Megan Amundson, Head of Onshore Wind & Consenting, Scottish Renewables with any queries.

Work Update

  • Scottish Renewables has identified a potential portal to be used by the onshore wind industry to allow supply chain providers to apply for contracts. This portal is also being considered by offshore wind developers.  The use of the portal is currently being piloted by four developers before a decision is made.
  • Scottish Renewables has commissioned BVGa to develop an industry-standard process and template for the publication of local content data. A recommendation will be made to industry for a standardised template by end of August 2024.