24th June 2026
£6m Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund opens for applications.
New funded training opportunities have been made available to help oil and gas workers across Scotland retrain for roles in other industries.
The Scottish and UK Governments are contributing £3 million each for the 2026-27 round of the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, which opens today.
The fund will enable over a thousand more oil and gas workers to benefit from funded training and careers advice that will enable them to bring their skills and experience to the sustainable energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and defence sectors.
The new national scheme expands on a successful pilot, which saw training funding applications approved for more than 400 North Sea workers based in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, in which 94% of participants said cost was the biggest barrier to accessing training.
The 2026-27 fund expands eligibility to anyone resident in Scotland who has worked in a role servicing the oil and gas industry in the last two years.
Energy Minister Stephen Gethins said:
"Scotland has the geography, we have the infrastructure, and above all, we have the people to make the most of the energy transition that is upon us.
“The workforce that has driven Scotland's oil and gas industry for generations is one of the most skilled and experienced in the world and it is vital that their expertise is preserved in the North East, and beyond.
“A just and managed transition means putting workers, and the communities that depend on them, at the heart of the economic benefits created by that transition. That is exactly what this fund intends to achieve by giving people the freedom to take their world-class skills into new and growing sectors, without being held back by the cost of training.”
UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:
"Thousands of jobs are being created right now in renewable energy and upgrading our grid and we want to make it as easy as possible for people with skills from the oil and gas industry to take advantage of these opportunities.
"This programme has already been oversubscribed so we are investing more to expand it to more skilled workers as part of our commitment to deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea."
Former Petrofac mechanical technician Michael Hill is now in the process of applying for roles in the clean energy sector after accessing training through a previous round of the fund.
He said:
“I’ve built up a lot of knowledge and transferable skills during my time in oil and gas, and the training has helped me see how those skills can apply in other industries.
“I’d absolutely recommend applying if you’re in oil and gas and thinking about moving into renewables.”
Frank Mitchell, Chair of Skills Development Scotland, said:
“The skills and expertise of Scotland’s oil and gas workforce are in demand across a number of growing sectors.
“SDS advisers can help workers in the oil and gas industry to reskill and upskill for careers in growing sectors to help them build on their experience and ultimately transition into new roles.
“The fund will play an important role in ensuring communities across Scotland benefit as much as possible from the continued growth of these key sectors.”
Further information who is eligible and how to apply can be found at: www.transitiontrainingfund.scot