Inverness base also strengthens partnership with University of the Highlands and Islands to develop local workforce of future.
At an event with SSEN Transmission, BAM has officially opened a new shared office space in Inverness, creating a dedicated Highland hub for its engineering and energy operations in the north of Scotland.
The office will play a central role in delivering a series of major proposed electricity infrastructure projects for SSEN Transmission – part of the transmission operator’s planned £22+ billion investment in electricity infrastructure across the north of Scotland to help meet energy security and clean power targets.
The new facility will act as collaborative hub for more than 200 people and will bring together BAM teams from different projects, SSEN Transmission colleagues, and a range of supply chain partners. The space is designed to strengthen collaboration, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent delivery across the programme.
Since SSEN Transmission set the challenge two years ago to expand the workforce required for the clean energy transition, BAM has recruited 362 full-time staff into Scotland’s energy networks sector, including 63 since August this year. This growth reflects the scale of the programme and the need for strong regional capability, which the collaboration office is designed to support.
Last week, SSEN Transmission became the first business to sign the Highland Social Value Charter, in which it commits to delivering a detailed set of benefits for Highland communities through its investment to upgrade the electricity grid. This includes £1.8bn of contracts for local businesses, more than £200m spending on roads and bridges, and support for the development of 500 homes.
Adrian Collins, Director of Energy Networks Scotland at BAM, said:
“Our teams are playing a central role in delivering the transmission infrastructure that will support a low-carbon future. The investment we have made in our Scottish workforce over the past two years shows the scale of opportunity this programme offers, and the importance of having a strong presence in local communities.
“This collaboration office strengthens how we work alongside SSEN Transmission and our supply chain partners, and it gives people across our projects a shared base, that will help us deliver consistently for communities across the Highlands and Islands.”
Richard Lochhead, Scottish Government Business Minister, said:
“Scotland’s growing renewables capabilities present enormous opportunities for economic growth, with extensive investment and exciting projects creating high-quality jobs and unlocking new opportunities across our local, regional and national economies.
“This development of the Highland hub is an excellent example of these opportunities being seized and delivered. I particularly welcome the commitment to attracting and equipping young people with the skills they need to benefit from the increasing number of roles being created and look forward to this driving long-term benefits for communities across the north of Scotland.”
Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery at SSEN Transmission, said:
“This new shared working hub in Inverness is another example of how the transition to a clean power future through upgrading the electricity grid is creating skilled jobs in communities across the north of Scotland. Achieving national energy security through more affordable, low carbon homegrown electricity and building local economic opportunity go hand in hand.
“Last week, SSEN Transmission became the first business to sign up to the Highland Social Value Charter. This ensures investment in a modern electricity grid can deliver both energy security and economic development. It will underpin the future Highland economy for decades to come, thereby forging stronger communities. We’re bringing jobs, new housing, contracts for local businesses, and investment in roads and infrastructure to the Highlands, giving more people the chance to live and work here.”
Image: SSEN Transmission’s Director of Offshore Delivery, Sandy Mactaggart, at the collaboration hub’s opening this morning.
BAM’s partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) remains central to developing the future workforce. Thirty apprentices are currently enrolled on UHI’s block-release programmes – a jointly developed model enabling students to earn while they work toward degree-level qualifications, while also gaining hands-on experience on live construction projects.
Carrie Higgins, Tertiary Education Leader at UHI Inverness, said:
“BAM has placed UHI at the heart of its apprenticeship and skills strategy, and we are proud to play a central role in developing the future workforce for Scotland’s transmission sector. Together, we have created a programme that allows people to work, study and earn at the same time, giving apprentices a stronger and more rounded educational experience.
“Our facilities and academic staff support the theory, while their time on live sites gives them immediate exposure to industry practice and the experts delivering it. This dual approach prepares young people for one of the biggest career opportunities of a generation, as major investment is made in the north of Scotland’s electricity transmission network. It is a model that brings real benefits to learners, employers and the wider region.”