Advisory body seeking to understand ‘climate challenge’ awareness and skills of upcoming construction workers

TO what extent the next generation of construction workers is alive to the ‘climate challenge’ – and equipped with the skills to tackle it – is being investigated by a group advising the Scottish Government on its ambitions to ‘transition’ the country towards ‘green energy’ and in a ‘fair’ way.

Today, and continuing tomorrow, the Just Transition Commission has been visiting construction sites and education facilities in Glasgow, Blantyre, Coatbridge and Hamilton “to learn about how Scotland can develop the workforce required to retrofit Scotland’s existing buildings as part of the economy-wide transition to ‘net zero’ [carbon emissions]”.

Adds a media announcement on behalf of the fact-finding exercise: “The Commission will hear directly from those whose lives and livelihoods are most likely to be impacted – including a visit to a construction sites in Coatbridge to hear from young apprentices; South Lanarkshire College, where [it] will hear about unlocking further opportunities for [SLC] and [the] wider college sector; and an open ‘town hall’ session at The Studio in central Glasgow [this] evening where [it] will hear further from workers about what it’s like working in the construction industry and how the industry needs to change as it goes ‘green’.”

The announcement adds: “The Commission will publish a short report over the summer with advice to the Scottish Government based on findings from its visit to Glasgow and the surrounding area.

“Last week, the Scottish Government published three discussion papers about how best to achieve a ‘just transition’ for three sectors: the Built Environment and Construction (here), Transport (here) and Land Use and Agriculture (here).”

Pictured: The Built Environment – Smarter Transformation ‘innovation’ centre near Hamilton, Picture credit: Chris Watt

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