Attracting and Developing the Best People: The International Energy Academy, A "Next Generation Project" Aimed at Keeping Scotland at the Forefront of People Development for the Energy Industry
Authors: Stephen Rita , Heywood Ian , Smillie Gail , Beddie Alison 
Published: December 2007

The energy industry is a strategically important sector which contributes significantly to both the Scottish and UK economies. At the present time the oil and gas sector is the main component of energy production and generation in the UK. In 2004 it gave rise to employment for around 340,000 skilled people in approximately 31,500 oil and gas operating companies, 233,000 amongst contractors and the wider supply chain and further 85,500 in induced employment. By 2005 the overall figure was 365,000 and was estimated to grow to 380,000 in 2006 (Experian, 2006). The number are expected to grow further in 2007 on the back of a continued increase in capital spend by oil and gas companies and driven by expected growth in operating costs and some growth in spending on exploration.

The proposed International Energy Academy (IEA) represents a major opportunity for Scotland. As Scotland's energy industry has developed over the past 30 years, Scotland has increasingly become a supplier of energy-related skills and knowledge to the world, as well as an energy producer. And yet, there is no single focal point designed to showcase our skills, develop skills for the future, attract and develop our future workforce and secure.

The IEA offers Scotland the opportunity to build on the organic growth of the energy industry by creating real impetus for progress during the next 30 years. This will be more challenging than ever but, given the world's increasing requirement for safe and secure energies, Scotland's contribution has never been more relevant and important.

The vision for the IEA is ambitious and would see Scotland as a leading player. It would ensure that individuals from across the energy sector have access to world class skills development programmes aimed at educating both the local and international energy labour supply for the various elements of the sector. The two overarching reasons why this is believed to be important are the need to maintain and support the current needs of the sector at a time of expansion, and the need to ensure that once we are no longer a leading player in terms of energy production we are still in a position to play a significant role in the development of the knowledge and expertise that the sector will require to shape its future.

The IEA has the potential to be one of the skills and knowledge powerhouses for the energy industry in the 21st Century and will be:

Professional - developed with the energy industry to ensure that the industry continues to be a key foundation stone in our developing prosperity. Dedicated – bringing together a range of research expertise to support the reversal of energy-related trends in our environment. Educational - a showcase for the energy industry consolidating Scotland's position as a world leader in the energy skills sector Specialist - delivering future-focused learning, knowledge and skills development for people working at all levels within the energy industry.