Talking-up Scotland

(c) offshoreenergytoday.com

From Energy Voice today:

‘A bumper crop of more than 100 new apprentices are swelling the ranks of the North Sea oil and gas workforce. They are part of the biggest intake an industry-wide scheme has seen since oil prices crashed in late 2014. Their recruitment and the number of young people involved have been hailed as a major boost for the sector as it continues to recover from the most severe and prolonged downturn in its history. A total of 105 students are joining the industry next week through the Oil and Gas Technical Apprentice Programme (Ogtap), up from 74 a year ago and nearly double the number who joined the scheme in 2016.’

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/180618/apprentices-swell-the-ranks-of-north-sea-oil-and-gas/

This is further evidence of Scotland’s strengthening youth employment which exceeds that of the UK as a whole:

3 500 additional new-style apprenticeships confirmed for Scotland in 2018 as Scottish Government pushes on to increase youth employment further ahead of rUK

Bias by delay and lack? Scotsman takes three months to understate Scottish Government achievement on youth employment

‘Scottish electrical apprenticeship numbers rise to nearly pre-recession heights’ as Scotland’s youth unemployment falls to 5th best out of 29 European countries

Scottish Government meets its youth employment target four years early to place Scotland as among the most successful in Europe

‘Scotland’s youth unemployment rate is now the lowest since records began and it’s the second lowest youth unemployment rate in the EU. Scotland’s productivity grows four times faster than UK’

It is also evidence of returning business confidence in the North Sea:

As Scottish oil industry booms, Aberdeen contractors more confident but Scottish media pay little attention.

Is Aberdeen booming again?

More real evidence of economic strength: number of Scots getting permanent jobs has ‘risen sharply.’

300 renewable energy jobs boom for North of Scotland expected at Nigg Energy Park

Up to 400 new jobs for Shell field in North Sea. Lots of tax revenue too? No?

Three new wind-farms in outer Tay and Forth estuaries to bring thousands of construction jobs to Scotland

13% increase in Salmon farming jobs as Scottish salmon sales help UK exports hit record high

Hundreds of new jobs likely for Nigg Energy Park