The A.C. Whyte Skills Academy recently featured in the Just Transition Commission report A National Mission for a Fairer, greener Scotland. The report is a culmination of the work started by the Just Transition Commission in early 2019.  The Commissions remit was to provide practical, affordable and actionable recommendations to Scottish Ministers.  The report sets out their view of the key opportunities and challenges for Scotland and recommends steps to achieving a just transition that truly leaves no one behind. 

Whilst the work of the Commission has resulted in a range of recommendations for Scottish Government and beyond.  The report summarises their call to action in four simple messages:

The report sets the scene of where we are now, within this context there is mention of our Buildings and how we heat them, with the report identifying the opportunity to advance a range of social justice issues in our country, including the need for improved housing.  The report states that whilst the challenge is in no doubt, the transition is a great opportunity to deliver on jobs and warmer homes, in more sustainable, healthier communities.

The report goes on to outline its recommendations in four key messages, under which it features headline recommendations or desired outcomes.  A.C. Whyte feature under Key message two: Equip people with the skills and education they need to benefit from the transition, key recommendation 10: Support small and medium sized enterprises to invest in their workforces and drive a just transition to net-zero.  The A.C. Whyte Skills Academy Case Study is denoted as an example of how SME’s can take ownership of their skills needs.  The Skills Academy is a mechanism for A.C. Whyte to continually develop a sustainable, skilled  workforce that will go on to deliver Scotland’s energy efficient future. 

The curriculum has been designed to evolve in line with Local Authority and Housing providers strategic requirements.  Having now launched the second Skills Academy in partnership with South Lanarkshire College, the course is proving to be an effective means for  A.C. Whyte to provide training opportunities and create jobs  for local candidates. 

To find out more about our Skills Academy. Read the full report here A National Mission for a Fairer, greener Scotland.