New figures expose SNP’s skills shortage in cutting emissions

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate crisis spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has warned of a critical skills shortage under the SNP, as new figures revealed big drops in the number of people being trained to work in the green heat sector.

The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings Strategy aims to cut emissions in buildings.

However, new figures show big drops in the number of people being trained to work in the green heat sector.

The figures show that:

• The number of students enrolled on relevant courses at Scottish colleges has fallen by 23% between 2018/19 and 2023/24 (the year with the latest available data).
• Between 2022/23 and 2023/24 alone, there was an 18% drop in the numbers enrolled on relevant courses at Scottish universities.
• This includes a drop of 17% in energy engineering, which trains people in renewable energy engineering.
• Since 2019, there has been an 18% drop in the numbers enrolled on relevant graduate apprenticeships.

Liam McArthur said:

“These figures suggest a very worrying skills shortage in heating buildings more efficiently and reaching our climate goals.

“The SNP’s progress in cutting emissions has already been poor, but that will only get worse if we don’t have the trained workforce to do the job.

“Liberal Democrats have already set out a realistic plan to cut energy bills in half by 2035. That includes investing more in renewables to break the link between the cost of electricity and the price of gas and bring down bills.

“From rolling out a nationwide insulation programme to harnessing the full potential of Scottish renewables, my party will support everyone in driving down emissions and cutting household bills.”