Energy and engineering businesses and organisations throughout the Highlands and Islands are being urged to complete a “vital” skills survey to give an accurate reflection of the state of industry in the region – or face losing out on business to other areas.

North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG) has launched its third annual skills survey for the region, in conjunction with the Energy and Engineering Skills forum which includes Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council, the University of the Highlands and Islands, Skills Development Scotland, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programme), SEMTA (Science, Engineering, Manufacture and Technologies council) and others.

The survey is the only one of its kind covering the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, from Shetland to Argyll and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray, and aims to give the most accurate reflection of the industry’s skills requirements in the short and long term.

NSIG chief executive Ian Couper said: “With a number of renewable energy projects either underway or imminent, and the oil and gas industry still as important as ever to our economy, it is vital for local businesses, training providers, enterprise bodies and politicians that we have as complete a picture as possible of the skill and training requirements and projected shortfalls for the years to come.

“If we neglect to do this, we face the threat of failing in meeting our skilled labour needs, which could result in these extremely important industries being serviced from outside of the local area.”

The survey will dovetail with others organised elsewhere in Scotland and the rest of the UK, such as one launched recently by OPITO, the oil and gas industry’s skills, learning and workforce development body, to give an accurate picture of the broader national skills requirements.

Mr Couper said: “I would like to thank OPITO for their support. Indeed, following on from their own recent survey, we should be able to provide an accurate picture of the skills situation over a far wider geographic and sector area, and covering future renewable energy requirements as well as oil and gas.”

“We will ensure that the key findings are communicated with some force to the decision makers. Therefore, to give our survey even more strength of purpose than in previous years we have greatly increased the survey “catchment” and would urge all relevant businesses to complete it as accurately as possible. The future of our economy may depend on it.”

Tags: North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG)