Salmond unveils scheme to tackle skills crisis in renewable energy

ALEX Salmond will this week announce a major training initiative to solve a looming skills crisis in Scotland's renewable energy sector.

The First Minister is expected to unveil a scheme, believed to involve Siemens, at trade body RenewablesUK's conference in Glasgow, held between Tuesday and Friday.

Although the Scottish Government has long talked up Scotland's potential in renewable energy - with the offshore sector expected to generate as many as 60,000 jobs by 2020 - skills experts have warned that firms will be forced to recruit engineers and other employees from abroad as few Scots workers have the necessary training or experience.

The government is counting on thousands of workers from the offshore oil and gas industry retraining to work in green energy but experts warn that few universities and higher education colleges north of the Border provide the necessary courses.

Recruitment firms specialising in green energy have reported they are having to look at Denmark, Germany, France and even Croatia to find staff for renewable energy firms operating in Scotland.

Tom Hopkinson, of blue collar recruitment firm Taylor Hopkinson Associates, warned earlier this year: "There's a huge employment opportunity in offshore wind and tidal energy in the UK but there needs to be more training made available for people."

The announcement will come less than a week after the First Minister held talks with General Electric boss Jeff Immelt about possible further investment in Scotland.

Immelt, who is chairman and chief executive of GE, was in Scotland on Friday for his first visit since devolution. Salmond urged the firm to expand its operations in Scotland.

GE employs 2,000 north of the Border in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Livingston, Montrose and Prestwick. Apart from energy, including oil and gas, it has Scottish operations in aviation and finance.