Transition Training Fund (TTF): FOI release

Information requested

In 2018 the Transition Training Fund provided training for oil and gas workers to move into the teaching profession within the north east. Please can you provide the following information:

• Was this run by the Scottish Government?
• How much did the activity cost?
• Has the activity been run since?
• If not, are there any plans to run the activity again?

Response

The Transition Training Fund (TTF) was supported by Scottish Government funding and delivered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). It ran from 2017 to 2019. A number of strands were funded, including support for individuals to access teacher training.

Between 2017 and 2019, overall expenditure on the teacher training strand of TTF was £283,355.

Since that time, no fund has specifically targeted oil and gas workers to transfer into teaching, but skills funding has continued to support workers in the oil and gas sector to transition.

In 2020, as a response to economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government launched the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) which aimed to support individuals, sectors and businesses affected by the downturn. In its first year, unemployed oil and gas workers or those at risk of redundancy were able to access training support via NTTF.

The North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund (NEERSF) was also put in place for one year in 2021/22 to help mitigate the dual impacts of the pandemic and the downturn in oil and gas in the North East of Scotland. The Fund includes projects managed by the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen which are helping oil and gas workers to move into roles in the low carbon energy sector or other areas of growth in the labour market such as HGV driving.

In 2021/22 the Scottish Government also offered up to 150 bursaries of £20,000 to support career changers, who met the Bursary Scheme criteria, to undertake the one year PGDE in 6 key STEM subjects, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computing Science, Technological Education and Home Economics:
https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/news-events/2021/february/stem-bursary-teacher-training-scheme/.

There are currently no plans to run the specific TTF teacher training opportunity again. However, securing a just transition for the North East and Moray, and supporting people’s jobs and livelihoods, continue to be priorities.

Our ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund will accelerate the transition in the North East and Moray, creating new and exciting opportunities across the region and contributing to its future prosperity. The first £20 million was allocated as part of the 2022-23 Budget, and funding will increase year-on-year as momentum behind the just transition of the region continues to grow.

Additionally, the Scottish Government has accepted a recommendation from the Just Transition Commission to develop a new skills guarantee for workers in carbon intensive industries, providing career guidance and training opportunities, enabling people to seek employment in other sectors.

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