I read with great interest the report published by Scottish Renewables, highlighting the huge potential for job creation in the offshore wind generation industry over the next decade.

Availability of sufficient skills and capacity in the Scottish construction industry will be one critical factor in determining whether the best case scenario of 48,000 new jobs and £7.1bn of economic investment by 2020 can be achieved.

But since March 2008, Scottish construction has seen 53,000 jobs lost and annual industry output reduced by £1.34bn.

By the middle of the decade, construction skills and capacity are likely to be in strong demand to deliver the core infrastructure needed for new low-carbon industries to take off. There is a risk of demand outstripping supply, causing prices to spike and making Scotland a less attractive location for renewable energy companies.

The vision of Scotland as a renewable energy powerhouse is an exciting one. But we need immediate action to shore up jobs, skills and capacity in the construction sector to ensure it becomes a reality.

Michael Levack, chief executive, Scottish Building Federation

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