Letter: Skills opportunity worth nurturing

I READ with interest reports that Scotland's renewable energy sector faces an increasing shortage of skills at senior management level (Business, 13 February).

As your report rightly identifies, the next few years represent a critical window of opportunity for skills development since many sectors of the renewable energy industry will not truly take off until the middle of the decade. By that point, we need to have enough people with the right skills to meet a spike in labour demand.

The Scottish Government has recognised the huge opportunity for employment and economic growth Scotland's renewables industry has to offer. To support its development, it has recently proposed the creation of a Future Generations Fund and has sought views on how this fund should be utilised to best effect.

Clearly, upfront investment in skills will be critical if Scotland's renewable energy sector is to realise its full potential. An emerging new industry needs to be nurtured and, properly deployed, the creation of a fund along the lines of the Future Generations Fund will help ensure the right skills are in place.

Jacqui Hepburn, director, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland, Edinburgh