Scottish Power in recruitment drive

The announcement was made today at the company's training headquarters in Cumbernauld by chairman Ignacio Galán and First Minister Alex Salmond. The 300 roles include full time positions in system design and HVDC development. Engineers are also needed to manage the transmission and distribution networks. Scottish Power said it plans to focus on increasing the number of young people within the company, with a third of the jobs earmarked for apprentices and graduates to help encourage the next generation of engineers into industry. It is anticipated that there will be around 50 new apprenticeships created and the graduate programme will look to take in at least 50 new graduates by 2013. Galán said: "The move to the low carbon economy, from modern and efficient electricity networks to new renewable energy generation will be a catalyst for economic growth and job creation. Overall, we are projecting investments totaling £12billion in the UK over the course of this decade and it is vital we do all that we can to encourage people to develop the skills required to take advantage of these investments. "We are announcing 300 skilled jobs today, in an industry where workers will have lifelong development opportunities. Our aim is to ensure that school children and those at college and university see this kind of skilled employment as an attractive option. Engineers are retiring every day and we want to see the next generation of workers knocking on our door to fill their places." According to Galán, the vast majority of the jobs will be based in Scotland, though the company has part of the network in North Wales and northern England. The company also plans to invest £6.5million in grassroots skills development between 2011 and 2013. First Minister Alex Salmond commented: "300 new high skilled jobs for Scotland's energy sector is very encouraging news indeed. Scottish Power's £6.5m commitment is further proof of the continued long term investment by global companies in Scotland's fast growing renewables industry. "Scotland's energy sector has the potential to reindustrialise this country and provide work for tens of thousands of Scots in the years to come. This kind of investment in training is critical to create the new generation of skilled workers to power our low carbon future."