Scottish Govt response to Just Transition Commission lacks a clear strategy for job creation

The Scottish Government has today published its response to the Just Transition Commission’s final report.

The response contains a lot that can be welcomed but falls disappointingly short when it comes to the vital area of job creation.

Richard Hardy, Prospect Scottish National Secretary and member of the Just transition Commission, said:

“Prospect welcomes the statements around Transition Plans, Fair Work and especially the Skills Guarantee, but the response lacks any clear strategy for creating new high quality jobs.

“This strategy is vital to making a Just Transition meaningful to our members and the many thousands of other workers who will be impacted by the journey to net zero. This is very disappointing, unions argued long and hard in the Commission for a more interventionist approach on this key issue.

“There is much to welcome in the ambition of what 2045 could look like, on technology roadmaps and especially addressing apprenticeships and the response goes further than any other UK Government has been prepared to go. Every journey after all starts with a single step, what’s vital now is the engagement of Trade Unions to ensure delivery and expand the Scottish Governments ambition”.