Vattenfall wind farm programme to create 50 Scottish apprenticeships

Energy group Vattenfall is to develop an onshore wind programme for Scotland that will secure around 50 apprenticeships.

The scheme, which will open up opportunities across the company’s onshore wind supply chain, will be rolled out on all its future consented projects. As well as offering traditional opportunities such as wind turbine technicians, the projects will offer apprenticeships in a wider range of industry jobs, including project management, electrical and mechanical engineering, construction and habitat management.

The firm pointed to its pipeline of onshore wind farm projects in Scotland, such as Quantans Hill near Carsphairn in Dumfries and Galloway and Clashindarroch II near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, saying the new scheme would aim to support the development of “well-paid jobs in rural communities”. Work will now begin with local specialist stakeholders and supply chain companies to develop “bespoke programmes tailored to each local area”.

Frank Elsworth, head of onshore wind development UK at Vattenfall, said: “The Scottish Government expects jobs in the energy production sector in Scotland to rise by around 400 per cent over the next 27 years. That’s an enormous increase and we need to start working now to ensure the workforce of the future is equipped with the skills we need to fill roles needed across our sites. We know from talking to our stakeholders and partners that we also need to deliver a programme that meets local needs and creates genuine local opportunities. Onshore wind has a hugely diverse supply chain – from ecologists to foresters, engineers to contract specialists, project designers through to wind turbine technicians.

“We believe there’s an opportunity for everyone and that’s why we’re making this scheme as broad as possible, so that local young people can access more of the opportunities that sometimes lie behind the scenes of an industry like ours.”

Vattenfall is a European energy company with some 20,000 employees. It has been working in the UK for almost 15 years.

Alastair Gillen, growth and inward investment manager at Skills Development Scotland (SDS), added: “Vattenfall’s commitment to work-based learning illustrates how skills are a fundamental part of Scotland’s transition to a low carbon economy.”