3t and Siemens Energy open Aberdeen Power Academy to train substation fitter apprentices for Scotland’s expanding electricity grid
On September 21, five Siemens Energy apprentices walked into 3t Training Services’ Aberdeen center to begin a substation fitter apprenticeship — the first cohort at what 3t and Siemens Energy are calling Scotland’s first independent training provider-led Power Academy.
The facility, built around a dedicated substation environment at 3t’s Aberdeen site, is designed to deliver hands-on, industry-standard training previously found only at network operators’ own internal centers.
Scotland’s first independent Power Academy opens in Aberdeen
3t Training Services officially launched the Power Academy at its Aberdeen training center — what the company describes as a first for Scotland: an independent, provider-led facility dedicated entirely to specialist power-sector skills. It came together through a close partnership with Siemens Energy and centers on a Substation Fitter Apprenticeship pathway, a structured entry route into one of the grid sector’s most in-demand technical roles.
As McDonald put it, the goal is ensuring “local communities share in the economic benefits of the transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system.”
Scottish Energy Minister Stephen Gethins attended the launch, met the inaugural cohort, and took part in a Q&A on workforce development. “Scotland’s energy transition presents a generational opportunity to create high-skilled jobs across the country,” Gethins said, “as we build the workforce required to deliver a more secure, and more affordable energy future for Scotland and Europe.” His presence made clear how seriously both government and industry are taking the skills gap.
The Academy isn’t just a training facility — it’s being positioned as part of a broader national strategy.
Growing demand for grid skills drives facility investment
Scotland and the wider UK are pouring investment into electricity networks to keep pace with rising energy demand, electrification, and the shift toward lower-carbon energy systems. That infrastructure build-out is enormous, but it only works if there are enough skilled people to deliver it.
SSEN Transmission’s upgrade program across the north of Scotland shows the scale involved. Rob McDonald, Managing Director of SSEN Transmission, described it as “one of the largest infrastructure programs in the region’s history.” Projects like that require specialist substation and grid-related technical skills — exactly the skills that, until now, lacked a dedicated independent training pathway anywhere in Scotland.
3t spotted that gap and moved on it. The company already runs a power-and-utilities training model from its Manchester center; the Aberdeen Academy pushes that model north to meet regional demand directly. Rather than asking apprentices or employers to travel, 3t is bringing the training infrastructure to where the work is actually happening.
Apprentices to work on live SSEN Transmission network projects
The five apprentices in the inaugural cohort aren’t training in a vacuum. Employed by Siemens Energy, they’re assigned to active SSEN Transmission projects upgrading the electricity network across the north of Scotland, so their learning feeds directly into live infrastructure investment.
That hands-on setup is central to the Academy’s design. The dedicated substation facility at 3t’s Aberdeen site gives apprentices access to practical, industry-standard training that would typically only be available through a network operator’s own internal center — and making that level of training available through an independent provider is what makes the model worth paying attention to.
Siemens Energy’s broader apprenticeship program puts the ambition in context. Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK and Ireland, noted that the company has enrolled approximately 650 apprentices across the UK, with around 150 starting their apprenticeship journey this month alone. The five Scottish apprentices are the first Siemens Energy Grid Technology apprentices based in Scotland.
3t isn’t stopping with this first cohort. Jamie Purves, Managing Director of 3t Training Services UK, confirmed the company is already developing a wider range of short courses and upskilling programs to support the broader power sector — not just new apprentices, but experienced workers who need to update or expand their skills as technology and grid requirements evolve.
Context: UK workforce pipeline for energy infrastructure
The Power Academy launch fits into a wider push from both the UK and Scottish governments to build workforce pipelines that keep pace with energy infrastructure investment. Physical assets alone don’t deliver an energy transition — the people to design, build, and maintain them matter just as much.
Scotland’s Offshore Wind Skills Program is running parallel initiatives, investing in pathways that strengthen the talent supply into key offshore wind occupations. Energy Minister Gethins pointed to the Academy as a complementary example of industry-led workforce investment working alongside those government programs. Apprenticeships are increasingly recognized as one of the most effective ways to build that homegrown talent base at the pace the transition demands.
3t and its partners are upfront about the model’s ambitions: the Academy is designed to be replicable, capable of supporting grid resilience while delivering local economic benefit to communities near major energy projects. As McDonald put it, the goal is ensuring “local communities share in the economic benefits of the transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system.”
Expanding a 3t model
The core facts are straightforward. 3t Training Services has launched Scotland’s first independent training provider-led Power Academy at its Aberdeen center, developed in partnership with Siemens Energy. The first cohort — five Siemens Energy apprentices — started on September 21, following a Substation Fitter Apprenticeship pathway while working on live SSEN Transmission network upgrades across the north of Scotland.
The facility expands an existing 3t model from Manchester and includes a dedicated substation training environment. Short courses and upskilling programs for the wider power sector are already in development. The launch carries Scottish Government backing and sits alongside national initiatives designed to build the skilled workforce Scotland’s energy infrastructure will need for decades to come.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
