Contribution to just transition
Jobs, skills and education – we worked to equip local citizens, businesses and community groups with the skills, education and retraining required to support retention and creation of access to green, fair and high-value work.
Business and Economy – We supplied the qualifications and upskilling to enable businesses to focus on sustainable and fair growth opportunities.
Adaptation and Resilience – We have equipped the regional community and workforce with the skills and knowledge to change and be resilient to future climate risks.
Decarbonisation and Efficiency – Direct courses based around key decarbonisation practices and skills that are more efficient for example battery storage and circular economy and sustainability.
Each of our courses we have delivered are all contributing to upskilling and reskilling businesses, communities and third sector groups with a specific relevance and focus on rural challenges which can vary from different demographic areas.
The projects were aimed after direct collaboration with different partners including REP and SOSE over the previous four years to understand the just transition for the South of Scotland. One of the key focuses in South of Scotland is green natural capital which is a link directly to the just transition for the local green economy.
The Net Zero Skills Centre equips the local workforce with the skills needed to support the transition to net zero, as green technologies and business requirements continue to evolve. By providing accessible, locally delivered training, the project empowers rural businesses in Dumfries and Galloway to participate in and benefit from the green economy. It also helps build a regional supply chain capable of installing and maintaining low-carbon technologies, contributing to both local economic resilience and Scotland’s wider carbon reduction goals. There is a clear direct link in the skills delivered to Dumfries and Galloway Councils Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) This strategy was used in the planning of skills delivery.
A direct benefit is the community-based knowledge sharing led by the those who have attended the courses delivered by the college.
Lessons learned
A key learning from the project is the strong appetite among SMEs and micro businesses to upskill and reskill in support of the net zero transition. While much of the focus and funding has traditionally been directed toward larger national organisations, this project has demonstrated that smaller, local businesses are eager to engage, provided they have access to relevant, accessible training. This highlights the importance of inclusive skills development to ensure a diverse and regionally distributed workforce is prepared for the demands of a low-carbon economy.
Challenges
While the Net Zero Skills Centre successfully provided funded training to local businesses in its first year, a major constraint has been the lack of continued funding. The project did not receive second year support from Dumfries and Galloway Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which has significantly impacted its ability to deliver training despite ongoing demand.
The model relies heavily on funding, as many micro businesses and SMEs struggle to justify the short to medium term return on investment for training without financial support. This challenge is compounded by the fact that other regions in the UK continue to offer funded upskilling opportunities, making it harder for Dumfries and Galloway businesses to remain competitive in the green economy.
Replication and scaling
The Net Zero Skills Centre model is highly replicable and scalable. Its success lies in targeting SMEs and micro businesses that form a critical part of supply chains supporting larger organisations. By focusing on accessible, accredited training in green technologies, the model can be adapted to other rural and regional areas across Scotland and the UK.
The main barriers to replication and scale-up are resource availability and sustained funding. Without continued financial support, it is difficult to offer training at the scale and affordability required to engage small businesses especially when other regions continue to provide funded upskilling opportunities. Addressing this funding gap is essential to ensure equitable access to green skills development nationwide.
Working conditions and fair work practices
Featured organisations and initiatives were asked to supply the following information regarding working conditions:
- Alignment with Scottish Government Fair Work First criteria
- If they have gone beyond Fair Work First by incorporating broader values on fair work
- For larger organisations, whether a union recognition agreement is in place.
This did not apply to co-operatives structures and membership-based initiatives, though all projects and initiatives were given room to provide any detail on fair work practices deemed relevant.
The following information was provided:
Fair work is a condition of The Scottish Funding Councils (SFC) grant to the college. It requires Dumfries and Galloway College who receives SFC funding to meet certain criteria, primarily paying at least the real Living Wage and providing appropriate channels for effective worker voice. This policy is part of a broader Scottish Government initiative to promote fair work practices across the public sector and those receiving public funds. The College is a Living Wage employer. Committing to equal pay in our equality reporting mechanism, reporting pay gap information for all protected characteristics as part of our annual equalities reporting schedule.
Trade union recognition: There is a sectoral approach which is agreed in partnership with all relevant trade unions such as EIS-FELA, Unite, Unison and GMB however internally at the College we also view enhancements to the Fair Work agenda through our College Values and our commitment to the 17 UN SDGs.
Beyond the above, the following principles are applied:
- The college has continually updated all digital platforms to communicate that we follow and work within the fair work principles.
- We have committed along with National Joint Negotiation Committee (NJNC) to launch the new fair work surveys in the new academic year, for all employees to gain valuable insights to create a working plan to enhance the areas in which we may fall short.
- We have done work with previous employee surveys and took actions from that.
- We have a full annual (August to July) engagement and wellbeing calendar planned for this coming academic year which covers key themes of health & wellbeing along with awareness of key focus areas such as mental health, breast cancer, men’s health, heart health etc. along with engagement activities and competitions.
- Post PRD’s we will be running calibration sessions and mapping out our talent and succession plans, looking at where we can add value and create opportunities for employees’ future careers, all of which falls under fair work principles.
