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New Statesman
04-07-2025
- Business
- New Statesman
Meeting missions. Creating jobs. Building careers.
Photo Credit: Fife College / Shell UK On the surface, Julie Lansdell and Dylan Reid appear to have little in common. Julie, now in her sixties, has balanced a working life with bringing up three children, holding down a series of jobs including an 11-year stint as an administrative officer at a local county court in Norfolk. Dylan, in the early stages of his career, lives nearly 400 miles north on the east coast of Scotland. He most recently worked at a global distribution centre in Dunfermline. Different ages, different backgrounds, but Julie and Dylan share three things in common: they both possess entrepreneurial spirit, they have a keen awareness of energy-related issues and a sense of responsibility to foster sustainable practices, and they've both received training through Shell UK's SkillsTransition programme. Julie recently completed a four-week Domestic Energy Advisor Level 3 course, part of the Shell UK-funded Energise employability programme. Delivered by charity partner Catch22, the Energise programme seeks to power careers in the energy transition by supporting people – especially those facing employment barriers – into jobs. Through Energise, Catch22 supports learners across London, Liverpool, Manchester and Norfolk, where Julie now runs her own small business as a domestic energy advisor. After a period of unemployment, and struggling with confidence issues, Julie was looking for a different career path. In her new role, she assesses the efficiency of residential properties and produces Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). 'The course has given me the opportunity to follow my dream and have my own business. It's perfect,' she said. 'I developed confidence, interview techniques and gained an understanding of the hidden jobs market. This helped me believe in myself and increased my drive.' Dylan, meanwhile, is enrolled at one of Shell UK's Energy Transition Skills hubs, at Fife College. He is studying for a national certificate in engineering systems with renewables, which will arm him with the practical experience and theoretical knowledge needed to pursue a career in electrical engineering. The NC level 5 course offers an introduction to renewable energy technology including wind, solar, and battery storage. Students develop electrical and mechanical skills and progress into a higher-level qualification, move into a modern apprenticeship or start a trainee role within a renewables business. Dylan's ambition is to become a self-employed electrician. The Energise programme and the hub in Fife are two distinct examples of Shell UK's SkillsTransition programme, which is focused on supporting 15,000 people into jobs with a focus on the energy transition by 2035. In doing so, Shell UK is assisting the government's growth and clean energy missions. As Skills England makes clear, clean energy skilled workers are essential if the government is to meet its Clean Energy Mission to deliver clean power by 2030 and accelerate the economy to net zero. If the UK is to move successfully to net zero by 2050 – and support an estimated 1.18 million newly created green jobs – it must meet an exacting challenge. Without the right investment, a skilled workforce and access to jobs, we risk leaving people behind and failing to meet the mid-century target. This is the skills gap Shell UK wants to help close. Shell UK's ambition involves ongoing commitment and investment in initiatives led by further education colleges, charities, and other skills bodies. Dylan is a beneficiary of the investment in further education colleges. Fife College is home to one of three UK-wide Energy Transition skills hubs Shell UK has helped create. The others are in Pembrokeshire and, opening later in 2025, Aberdeen. Taken together, they provide students with the opportunity to learn and refine critical capabilities. They each deliver specialist energy transition skills, including welding and fabrication in Aberdeen; community-level nano grid energy system design in Fife; and control room systems operations in Pembrokeshire. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Beyond the skills hubs, Shell UK works with third-party organisations like Catch22, a partnership which has proved to be so successful for Julie. Other specialist employability partners include Breaking Barriers, UpReach, Shaw Trust and Good People. Shaw Trust, for example, delivers short courses to support diverse groups of people with the soft skills they need to help them get into work and to understand the range of jobs available in the energy sector. The Shell UK SkillsTransition programme aims to reach people from a range of backgrounds and, to date, has supported over 4,000 people across the UK – people like Julie and Dylan – with many more to come. Like Julie, Dylan believes the impact his course is having is huge. Not only has the course taught him practical skills, but it has also helped him fully understand what he wants to do in the future, cementing his commitment to play a role in the energy transition. He said: 'I have learnt many things that I had never had experience with before, including the electrical principles theories. The best part of this course for me is being able to develop my practical wiring skills even more.' The Shell UK SkillsTransition programme provides opportunities to ensure people are at the heart of the energy transition. Read more about these programmes at: Related
STV News
02-07-2025
- STV News
Scotland's largest cannabis farm worth £12m uncovered in raid
A cannabis farm worth around £12m is believed to be the largest found in Scotland to date. Officers raided a derelict building at the former Fife College Nairn Campus in Kirkcaldy on June 18, where the cultivation was discovered. The haul has now been valued at almost £12m. Around 5,000 plants were recovered, with the estimated product weight totalling over 1,000kg. Investigations into the find are ongoing. Detective inspector Samantha Davidson said: 'This was a sizeable and highly organised cultivation – the most significant we've seen in Scotland – with the potential to generate a multi-million-pound return through illegal means. 'This recovery underlines our ongoing commitment to tackling serious organised crime through the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'We will continue to act on intelligence and use all available resources at our disposal to disrupt the production and supply of controlled drugs. 'Anyone with information or concerns about drugs in their area can call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
01-07-2025
- BBC News
'Largest ever' cannabis farm found in former Kirkcaldy college campus
The largest illegal cannabis farm ever found in Scotland has been uncovered inside a former college 5,000 plants were found inside the Nairn Building, formerly part of Fife College's Priory Campus, in Kirkcaldy during a police raid last said the class A drug, which weighed almost one metric tonne (1,000kg), had a value of about £ investigation into the cultivation remains ongoing. Det Insp Samantha Davidson described it as the "most significant cultivation ever seen in Scotland".She added: "This was a sizeable and highly organised cultivation with the potential to generate a multi-million-pound return through illegal means."We will continue to act on intelligence and use all available resources at our disposal to disrupt the production and supply of controlled drugs. The Nairn building, which is category B-listed, was a former mill before being taken over by Fife closed its doors to students in 2016 and was later sold off to developers.A planning application to build 39 flats alongside a gym and retail space was lodged in 2021, but the site has remained empty ever since.
STV News
01-07-2025
- STV News
Cannabis farm worth £12m 'largest uncovered in Scotland to date'
A cannabis farm worth around £12m is believed to be the largest found in Scotland to date. Officers raided a derelict building at the former Fife College Nairn Campus in Kirkcaldy on June 18, where the cultivation was discovered. The haul has now been valued at almost £12m. Around 5,000 plans were recovered, with the estimated product weight totalling over 1,000kg. Investigations into the find are ongoing. Detective inspector Samantha Davidson said: 'This was a sizeable and highly organised cultivation – the most significant we've seen in Scotland – with the potential to generate a multi-million-pound return through illegal means. 'This recovery underlines our ongoing commitment to tackling serious organised crime through the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'We will continue to act on intelligence and use all available resources at our disposal to disrupt the production and supply of controlled drugs. 'Anyone with information or concerns about drugs in their area can call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
01-07-2025
- The National
Police find '1000kg of drugs at biggest Scottish cannabis farm ever'
Officers reporting having found cannabis plants worth around £12 million after executing a warrant at Nairn Campus, High Street, Kirkcaldy on June 18. The campus was once part of a 7.5-acre site owned by Fife College, however it closed in 2016 and was sub-divided. Officer said that some 5000 plants were recovered, with the estimated product weight totalling over 1000kg. READ MORE: Decriminalise some cannabis possession, says Sadiq Khan Detective Inspector Samantha Davidson said: 'This was a sizeable and highly organised cultivation – the most significant we've seen in Scotland – with the potential to generate a multi-million-pound return through illegal means. 'This recovery underlines our ongoing commitment to tackling serious organised crime through the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'We will continue to act on intelligence and use all available resources at our disposal to disrupt the production and supply of controlled drugs. 'Anyone with information or concerns about drugs in their area can call Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.'
