Oil and Gas to Wind Cross-Skill Pilot Programme Reaches Completion

The first cohort of the GWO REcognition and Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) pilot programme has now graduated.  This achievement marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between GWO, the ECITB and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in the establishment of the Wind Turbine Technician Cross-Skill Pilot Programme.

This pilot programme has been delivered through Forth Valley and North East Scotland Colleges and RelyOn. The first cohort consists of eight individuals in Grangemouth and seven in Aberdeen, representing a mix across the electrical, mechanical and instrument pathways. This initiative is a real example of how collaboration can bridge skill gaps and create cost-efficient pathways into renewable energy by recognising existing skills and minimising repeat training. Through the delivery of targeted instruction in core skills areas for working safely on wind turbines, this pathway ultimately aims to reduce certification time for essential training.

Joining representatives from the ECITB and the cohort in Glasgow, Sergei Perapechka, Head of Partnerships and Network Development at GWO, remarked:

Through the cross-skill programme, participants get the training they need at a lower cost and with fewer resource needs, while gaining an internationally industry-recognised certification. The priority here is to ensure that we continue to provide access to training for people transitioning into renewable energy. This is just the beginning, and we are committed to paving the way for more effective workforce development in renewable energy.

With the first pilot programme now completed, GWO and the ECITB will continue to align on further expansion of this initiative to widen access to eligible technicians in other regions of the UK.