ScottishPower Renewables has committed to a £10,000 annual investment in skills training and education for Tiree people to help gain qualifications linked to employment in renewable energy.
The Tiree Renewable Energy Skills, Education and Training (RESET) Fund will be used to provide financial support to eligible candidates pursuing post-school education or training and was developed following discussions with Tiree Community Development Trust (TCDT).
SPR plans to deliver funding annually throughout its feasibility studies from 2012 onwards and the company is currently preparing a planning application for the Argyll Array Windfarm, expected to be submitted in the second half of 2014.
Ralph Thornton, senior project manager at ScottishPower Renewables said: “Scotland's renewable energy sector has the potential to be a considerable growth industry for this country and provide many employment opportunities for Scots going forward. This kind of investment in training and education, directly linked to renewable energy, is key to delivering the new generation of skilled workers to help power our low carbon future."
Award amounts are expected to vary from £150 - £1000 and further information and eligibility criteria is available through the company’s dedicated website www.argyllarray.com
Media information: Kenny Craig: 0141 614 4525
Notes to editors:
The Argyll Array Offshore Windfarm project was announced on 16th February 2009. Since then, SPR has been organising environmental and engineering studies of the site, and consulting with interested parties at local and national levels.
A project milestone was passed in March 2011 when the Argyll Array was formally included in the Scottish Government's list of offshore wind projects approved to proceed to a planning application. This was announced in Marine Scotland's Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.
The Argyll Array site is located 5 km off the coast of Tiree, and covers approximately 361 km2.It is believed that the site has the potential to generate anywhere between 500MW to 1800MW of clean green energy - enough to power 270,000 to 1,000,000 households.
Further information on the RESET fund
Donnie Campbell, ScottishPower Renewables Community Liaison Officer, donnie@argyllarray.com