A new transition skills initiative will focus bright minds on solving real life climate change energy issues.

Led by energy consultancy Xodus, X-Academy will provide training opportunities for hundreds of people to work directly on initiatives to reduce emissions and accelerate efforts towards net zero. 

The two-year mentored placements in Aberdeen will be open to graduates and people looking to reskill for positive change with 24 participants expected in the first cohort. Non-profit-making X-Academy will reinvest training profits into further skills development, climate projects and innovations. 

ETZ Ltd has invested a grant of £1.6 million to fund two years of running costs and part-fund the first-year cohort, who will start in December.

Peter Tipler, X-Academy Director and Sales & Marketing Director at Xodus said:
“We want to use the time and resource spent on workplace training to make a transformative difference to support the planet. X-Academy will enable selected participants to have a meaningful impact in low carbon energy, focusing their collective mindpower on action that will address emissions and decarbonisation targets. With each trainee spending around 2,000 hours a year through on the job learning, we want to harness that power and put talented and motivated people to work addressing the moon-shot ideas that could make the biggest difference. We are thrilled to have the support of ETZ, bp and EnBW and are in talks with other stakeholders to ensure X-Academy can help as many people as possible.”

ScotWind consortium partners bp and EnBW have committed more than £1 million to X-Academy in a five-year deal which includes creating entry-level energy transition roles and reskilling experienced workers if the consortium is successful in their ScotWind application.

Rebecca Hewlett, Director of Renewables & Environment at Xodus added: “Alongside broader transition skills, X-Academy is our investment in contributing to the sustainability of the Scottish offshore wind industry. We will be working with key clients to help a new generation of workers to access the opportunities that the energy transition is creating. The growth of offshore wind globally has been incredible to witness, but without a concerted effort, we will quickly encounter a bottle-neck in experienced professionals to deliver these projects.”

Maggie McGinlay, Chief Executive at ETZ Ltd said: 
“ETZ is committed to ensuring a Just Transition by enabling the transition of skills to progress low carbon energy opportunities. We are excited to support this initiative which will deliver a practical and action focused model to deliver a workforce that is ready to support the leading position the North East of Scotland is taking in the journey to Net Zero.”

Emeka Emembolu, SVP North Sea at bp said: 
“Scotland is uniquely positioned to lead the energy transition by harnessing the decades of skills and experience built up in the offshore oil and gas sector. Initiatives like the X-Academy will open doors for existing and future talent to pursue careers in the low carbon energy sector – and importantly be included in a just transition.

“That’s exactly why skills development was a critical component of our ambitious ScotWind bid with EnBW, which, if successful, will see us commit more than £1million to the X-Academy, so we can continue to nurture and apply those skills as we pave a new lower carbon energy future together.”

The application process will launch shortly and interested candidates can register their interest here: http://www.xodus.academy.co.uk/