First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has hinted further support lies ahead for the North Sea oil and gas industry. The First Minister was in Aberdeen to meet with industry leaders as well as attending a meeting of the Energy Taskforce today.
A leading member of the Scottish Government’s Energy Taskforce said the oil and gas industry needs to be “realistic” about the challenges facing the sector.
Scotland’s oil and gas industry has a vibrant future. Yes, there’s a sharp reduction in investment, in jobs and in projects but the strength of skills and experience built up over the decades will sustain the industry and ensure it remains a significant contributor to the Scottish economy for decades to come. It’s now six months since the First Minister announced the creation of an Energy Jobs Taskforce to help support Scotland’s oil and gas sector through the current challenging period.
The head of the Scottish Government’s Energy Jobs Taskforce has pledged to do “everything possible” to ensure skills are not lost in the current oil price crisis facing the North Sea oil and gas sector. Lena Wilson, who is chief executive of the economic development agency Scottish Enterprise as well as chairwoman of the taskforce, insisted the group is “not a committee or a talking shop” and plans will be backed by government funding when required. She said: “If we come up with any ideas that need funding, we will first of all look to the significant existing resources we have.