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Press and Journal
3 days ago
- General
- Press and Journal
Gallery: A nostalgic look back at RGU students' union in photos
For 40 years, RGU students' union commanded a prominent spot at the top of Schoolhill, conveniently located a wee stumble away from Belmont Street's pubs. Previously the headquarters and shop of bakers Mitchell and Muil, Robert Gordon Institute of Technology (RGIT) bought the entire site at 60 Schoolhill after the firm closed in 1972. Until then, RGIT students had been squeezing into a union at 17 Rubislaw Terrace. But after £96,500 of building work, the Schoolhill building was transformed into a five-floor haven for students. Back then, RGIT's schools and departments were scattered across the city; from Schoolhill and St Andrew's Street, to King Street, Kepplestone and Garthdee. It wasn't until 1991 that the institute gained university status, becoming Robert Gordon University. When the union opened in October 1974, it gave RGIT's body of 2000 students a central base for the first time. The facade of the 1885 building, designed by Aberdeen architect Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, was retained to give 'the handsome old building a unified dignity'. But inside, the Victorian building was 'completely gutted and rebuilt' with internal walls flattened and ceilings lowered. When the students' union was unveiled, it was said the interior rang the changes of the era, with 'hessian walls, cord carpets, asbestos ceiling tiles and tough spray-painted walls'. A basement was remodelled to contain showers, storage and a cloakroom, while the ground floor hosted the main lounge bar. Tan-coloured bench seating ran around the walls, which contrasted with the purple, brown and tan hessian walls. The first floor of the students' union had a canteen, that catered for 650 people daily, which also had jukeboxes and a shop that sold stationery and cassette tapes. Floor two provided entertainment including a table tennis room and offices, while the third floor had three TV rooms – one for each TV channel. It was predicted by the 1980s student numbers could increase to 6000, and there were concerns even the new union could be too small. But it was still going strong by the time Robert Gordon University was founded, and it became known as RGU Students' Union. It was an ideal venue for a cheap lunch, a pub quiz, a meeting place for societies, a game of pool – and of course the place to go at the beginning of a night out. Back then, 'rivals', Aberdeen University, still had their historic students' union at the other end of Schoolhill. With two unions and a plethora of pubs and clubs, student nightlife in Aberdeen was thriving. By the 2000s, the hessian might have gone, but RGU students' union was still a popular hub in heart of the city. As Aberdeen University migrated entirely to Old Aberdeen, its union eventually closed down in 2004. But RGU's was still going strong, by day you could pick up a mean macaroni pie, by night you could enjoy drinks deals galore. It might have been a slightly terrifying trek up unforgiving stairs to reach the second floor bar (especially in heels), but the cheap pitchers of cocktails were worth it. At RGU union you could pick up a pitcher of the very sugary 'Purple People Eater' (containing Bacardi, peach schnapps, Blue Bols, grenadine and lemonade) for just £8 – if you valued your wallet over your teeth. Or if you really wanted to kick-start your night out, Jagerbombs were only £1.50 off-peak, with an additional charge of 50p for the weekends. Although after a few 'Absinthe Bombs' it's unlikely you'd make it much farther than the union on a night out. Sadly generations of students are missing out on £1 Apple Bombs or Messy Bombs (it's still unclear exactly what the latter was), because there's no student union bar left in Aberdeen. Like Aberdeen University, RGU moved its schools to one campus at RGU, creating a united university in one location. RGU student union on Schoolhill followed suit; in 2013 the university announced its closure. However, a valiant campaign from students saw it gain a stay of execution until 2014 when RGU sold the building and its doors shut for good. Its closure ended 40 years of fun, but at least we still have the (hazy) memories. The old building has just recently been put up for auction.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
North Sea sector faces Grangemouth-scale redundancies every fortnight without action
Research by Robert Gordon University found the UK risks losing tens of thousands of jobs Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The North Sea oil and gas workforce could shrink by 400 jobs – the same number lost as a result of the closure of the Grangemouth refinery – every two weeks for the next five years unless urgent action is taken, a new report has warned. Research by Robert Gordon University (RGU) found the UK risks losing tens of thousands of offshore energy jobs by 2030. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Professor Paul de Leeuw, director of the energy transition institute at RGU, warned the 'window of opportunity for delivering a just transition is closing'. An oil rig in the North Sea | PA The new report suggests a 2030 UK offshore energy workforce requirement (oil, gas and renewables) of between 125,000 and 163,000 jobs, compared to today's figure of approximately 154,000. However, the specific UK oil and gas workforce is forecast to fall from 115,000 in 2024 to between 57,000 and 71,000 by the early 2030s. In the lower case scenario, the North Sea oil and gas workforce could shrink by approximately 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Under the high-case scenario, workforce demand levels across the UK could hit more than 210,000, but this would require the delivery of an additional 35 GW - or close to 6 GW per year - of offshore wind and sustaining UK oil and gas activities for an extended period, similar to policies applied in Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. The report warned the potential risks for Scotland's supply chain and workforce are substantial. If Scotland fails to capture the full range of offshore energy opportunities and the oil and gas decline continues to accelerate, the Scottish-based offshore energy workforce could decrease from approximately 75,000 in 2024 to between 45,000 and 63,000 by the early 2030s. Prof de Leeuw said: 'With investment at risk and renewables projects facing delays, the findings underline the present-day situation for the UK offshore energy industry and its stakeholders. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The big prize of a significant jobs gain is still within our collective reach. Inaction or simply slow progress will mean that UK offshore energy job numbers overall could drop by almost 20 per cent to 125,000 by 2030, making the path towards net zero even harder to negotiate. 'The analysis shows that there is a workforce 'goldilocks zone' between 2025 and 2030 during which the UK supply chain capacity and capability can be sustained, developed and invested in, so that the transferability of the offshore energy workforce is optimised. 'However, key to the effective delivery of the goldilocks zone is rapid investment in UK capabilities to deliver a fast-growing programme of green capital projects, which in turn will help to realise ambitious goals for domestic execution of these projects.' He added: 'The UK possesses all the attributes and resources to realise the ambitions set out in government strategies and forward-looking industry programmes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The report shows that with the right interventions at the right time, the UK can achieve its strategic energy goals and reach its net zero objectives, all while protecting and significantly enhancing workforce numbers in the offshore energy sector. 'Countries such as Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands are already successfully balancing traditional energy production with rapid expansion of renewables, a model the UK could and should emulate. 'The review recognises the constraints to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind, CCS, hydrogen and other renewable energies over the remainder of this decade. 'However, the analysis highlights that Governments can rapidly put in place policies to better manage the decline in the oil and gas sector, so that offshore energy jobs and the UK's world-class supply chain can be sustained and retained.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the just transition was 'being put in jeopardy'. 'The independent expert advice is clear, we will see a Grangemouth scale of job losses each and every fortnight if the UK Government does not shift from its misguided position and protect the energy industry of today so that the workforce can use their skills and expertise to develop the net zero industries of tomorrow,' he said. 'The opportunities of net zero are enormous but they will not be realised if the Labour Government continues with its current fiscal regime that deters stability, confidence and investment in existing industries and we therefore lose our best people, and world-class supply chain, to nations elsewhere. 'Whether it is the impact of the energy profits levy or the failure to fund the Acorn [carbon capture] project, we run the real risk of being in a 'worst of all worlds' type scenario and that would be unforgivable. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Net zero jobs plans are fundamentally flawed, Miliband warned
Ed Miliband has been urged to slash taxes on the North Sea to prevent the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. Researchers at Robert Gordon University (RGU) said oil and gas jobs were disappearing faster than new clean energy roles were being created as a result of the slower-than-expected deployment of wind farms. It threatens the loss of tens of thousands of skilled British jobs by the end of the decade. The RGU report warned that the offshore wind sector may only generate 29,000 jobs by 2030, while some 58,000 disappear from oil and gas – the equivalent of 200 jobs lost every week for the next five years. Paul de Leeuw, director of RGU's Energy Transition Institute, said: 'You have to wait pretty well to the back end of this decade before there's enough capacity in the renewables sector to take all the people coming out of oil and gas. 'So there is a very valid, very real concern in oil and gas, in the world-class supply chain and the absolutely fantastic workforce, and they're saying 'actually, we're quite happy to work on the renewable agenda, but the jobs are simply not there'. 'It's a timing issue.' To avoid heavy job losses, RGU said Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, needed to either attract a larger share of turbine manufacturing to the UK or reverse his ban on new North Sea drilling licences to temporarily boost oil and gas production. Mr Miliband has promised a 'just transition' in the North Sea, saying offshore wind jobs will replace those lost on oil and gas rigs. He is targeting between 43 and 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of his clean power plans. The Government argues this will not only deliver energy security but also provide lasting employment for North Sea workers. However, based on the industry's current trajectory, new jobs will not be created fast enough to match the decline in oil and gas. In a worst-case scenario, researchers said the overall number of people working in offshore energy could fall by one fifth to 125,000. It comes after energy consultancy BloombergNEF warned the Government was on course to miss its offshore wind deployment target by 10GW. RGU said Mr Miliband could miss his wind power targets and still avoid job losses, but only if he attracted a larger share of turbine manufacturing to the UK or reopened the North Sea. Prof De Leeuw said: 'Getting to the Government's target for offshore wind capacity would be an absolutely heroic achievement, especially in just the next five years. 'So if you might not get there, you want to keep your options open. We think you need to keep oil and gas going for just a bit longer, to buy more time for the cavalry to arrive in the form of renewable energy jobs.' The RGU report predicted demand for between 125,000 and 212,000 offshore energy workers – including both those in oil and gas and those in renewables – by 2030. This depends on various factors, including the amount of offshore wind capacity that is built, the share of turbine manufacturing that is done domestically, and the level of oil and gas production. In nearly every scenario where Mr Miliband hits his upper target for offshore wind generation, or 50GW of capacity, the number of North Sea jobs either increases or stays more or less the same. But in most scenarios where only 40GW or 30GW are delivered, large numbers of jobs are lost. BloombergNEF recently warned that Mr Miliband was on course to deliver just 33GW by 2030, with Ørsted's decision to cancel the massive Hornsea 4 project also viewed as a sign of industry turbulence. Significant job losses are less likely if more money is spent on building wind farm equipment in Britain, RGU said. However, this may be beyond the Government's control. Another way to ensure jobs are not lost in almost every scenario is to ensure oil and gas production stays at 700,000 barrels per day or more, compared to a current forecast of between 500,000 to 600,000 barrels per day. This would only be possible if controversial developments such as the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields went ahead, as well as other schemes. Prof De Leeuw suggested ministers could try to grow domestic turbine manufacturing by making supporting investments in factories, perhaps through the National Wealth Fund and state-owned Great British Energy. But he warned the Government 'doesn't have all the levers' to ensure that happens, whereas the windfall tax on oil and gas producers and the ban on new licences were within its control. While stressing the North Sea was still in 'managed decline', he added: 'It is very hard for the Government to make the renewables agenda go faster. 'But what they do have is all the levers on how to manage the decline in oil and gas, and particularly around what they do with the tax regime and the fiscal levers.' Asked whether Mr Miliband should reverse the ban on new drilling licences, a key pledge in Labour's election manifesto, he replied: 'You have to get investor confidence to the highest point. 'What was in the [Labour] manifesto ... the world has moved on, but the policy has not. I do think there is room for selective licensing to keep activity going.' The Government has been consulting on its plans for the North Sea, which include boosting employment through a variety of new sectors such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production and offshore wind. It has also set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to ensure new roles are 'high-quality and paid fairly', and launched the so-called clean industry bonus to attract factory investments to coastal communities. On Friday, a spokesman for Mr Miliband's department said: 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our plan for change, including by making the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture storage clusters. 'This comes alongside Great British Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, which has already announced a £300m investment into British supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Net zero jobs plans are fundamentally flawed, Miliband warned
Ed Miliband has been urged to slash taxes on the North Sea to prevent the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. Researchers at Robert Gordon University (RGU) said oil and gas jobs were disappearing faster than new clean energy roles were being created as a result of the slower-than-expected deployment of wind farms. It threatens the loss of tens of thousands of skilled British jobs by the end of the decade. The RGU report warned that the offshore wind sector may only generate 29,000 jobs by 2030, while some 58,000 disappear from oil and gas – the equivalent of 200 jobs lost every week for the next five years. Paul de Leeuw, director of RGU's Energy Transition Institute, said: 'You have to wait pretty well to the back end of this decade before there's enough capacity in the renewables sector to take all the people coming out of oil and gas. 'So there is a very valid, very real concern in oil and gas, in the world-class supply chain and the absolutely fantastic workforce, and they're saying 'actually, we're quite happy to work on the renewable agenda, but the jobs are simply not there'. 'It's a timing issue.' To avoid heavy job losses, RGU said Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, needed to either attract a larger share of turbine manufacturing to the UK or reverse his ban on new North Sea drilling licences to temporarily boost oil and gas production. Buying time Mr Miliband has promised a 'just transition' in the North Sea, saying offshore wind jobs will replace those lost on oil and gas rigs. He is targeting between 43 and 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of his clean power plans. The Government argues this will not only deliver energy security but also provide lasting employment for North Sea workers. However, based on the industry's current trajectory, new jobs will not be created fast enough to match the decline in oil and gas. In a worst-case scenario, researchers said the overall number of people working in offshore energy could fall by one fifth to 125,000. It comes after energy consultancy BloombergNEF warned the Government was on course to miss its offshore wind deployment target by 10GW. RGU said Mr Miliband could miss his wind power targets and still avoid job losses, but only if he attracted a larger share of turbine manufacturing to the UK or reopened the North Sea. Prof De Leeuw said: 'Getting to the Government's target for offshore wind capacity would be an absolutely heroic achievement, especially in just the next five years. 'So if you might not get there, you want to keep your options open. We think you need to keep oil and gas going for just a bit longer, to buy more time for the cavalry to arrive in the form of renewable energy jobs.' The RGU report predicted demand for between 125,000 and 212,000 offshore energy workers – including both those in oil and gas and those in renewables – by 2030. This depends on various factors, including the amount of offshore wind capacity that is built, the share of turbine manufacturing that is done domestically, and the level of oil and gas production. In nearly every scenario where Mr Miliband hits his upper target for offshore wind generation, or 50GW of capacity, the number of North Sea jobs either increases or stays more or less the same. But in most scenarios where only 40GW or 30GW are delivered, large numbers of jobs are lost. Government levers BloombergNEF recently warned that Mr Miliband was on course to deliver just 33GW by 2030, with Ørsted's decision to cancel the massive Hornsea 4 project also viewed as a sign of industry turbulence. Significant job losses are less likely if more money is spent on building wind farm equipment in Britain, RGU said. However, this may be beyond the Government's control. Another way to ensure jobs are not lost in almost every scenario is to ensure oil and gas production stays at 700,000 barrels per day or more, compared to a current forecast of between 500,000 to 600,000 barrels per day. This would only be possible if controversial developments such as the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields went ahead, as well as other schemes. Prof De Leeuw suggested ministers could try to grow domestic turbine manufacturing by making supporting investments in factories, perhaps through the National Wealth Fund and state-owned Great British Energy. But he warned the Government 'doesn't have all the levers' to ensure that happens, whereas the windfall tax on oil and gas producers and the ban on new licences were within its control. While stressing the North Sea was still in 'managed decline', he added: 'It is very hard for the Government to make the renewables agenda go faster. 'But what they do have is all the levers on how to manage the decline in oil and gas, and particularly around what they do with the tax regime and the fiscal levers.' Asked whether Mr Miliband should reverse the ban on new drilling licences, a key pledge in Labour's election manifesto, he replied: 'You have to get investor confidence to the highest point. 'What was in the [Labour] manifesto ... the world has moved on, but the policy has not. I do think there is room for selective licensing to keep activity going.' The Government has been consulting on its plans for the North Sea, which include boosting employment through a variety of new sectors such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production and offshore wind. It has also set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to ensure new roles are 'high-quality and paid fairly', and launched the so-called clean industry bonus to attract factory investments to coastal communities. On Friday, a spokesman for Mr Miliband's department said: 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our plan for change, including by making the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture storage clusters. 'This comes alongside Great British Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, which has already announced a £300m investment into British supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs.'
Press and Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Warning 400 North Sea jobs could go every two weeks in the next five years
Up to 400 North Sea oil and gas jobs could vanish every two weeks over the next five years. That's the stark warning from a new Robert Gordon University report, which has compared it to losing the entire Grangemouth refinery workforce over and over again. It says the UK is teetering in a fragile 'goldilocks zone'- a narrow window where action now could protect and even grow energy jobs. But the window is closing fast. The study, Striking the Balance, urges the government to act now to prevent a steep decline in skilled roles. With the right investment, policies and delivery, UK offshore energy jobs could grow to 210,000 by 2023. However, without that, job numbers could fall to 125,000 – with Scotland expected to lose up to around 30,000 roles. Professor Paul de Leeuw, director of RGU's Energy Transition Institute, said action is urgently needed. 'The analysis shows that there is a workforce 'goldilocks zone' between 2025 and 2030 during which the UK supply chain capacity and capability can be sustained, developed and invested in, so that the transferability of the offshore energy workforce is optimised,' he said. 'Key to the effective delivery of the goldilocks zone is rapid investment in UK capabilities to deliver a fast-growing programme of green capital projects, which in turn will help to realise ambitious goals for domestic execution of these projects.' Prof de Leeuw said we need to 'follow the money' and pointed to 'massive investor uncertainty' in the negative sentiment for oil and gas in the UK and a slowdown in the wind industry. 'Where's the activity?' he asked. 'That Goldilocks zone is getting more urgent. 'There's just nowhere for the supply chain jobs to go other than overseas.' He said government intervention was needed to get confidence back in the industry. 'The UK's lack of joined up action means that the window of opportunity for delivering a just transition is closing,' he said. 'Countries such as Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands are already successfully balancing traditional energy production with rapid expansion of renewables, a model the UK could and should emulate. 'Analysis highlights the governments can rapidly put in place policies to better manage the decline in the oil and gas sector, so that offshore energy jobs and the UK's world-class supply chain can be sustained and retained.' Prof de Leeuw said the stakes were particularly high for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, where one in four jobs are linked to offshore energy – through direct employment or the wider supply chain. 'With investment at risk and renewables projects facing delays, the findings underline the present-day situation for the UK offshore energy industry and its stakeholders,' he said. 'The big prize of a significant jobs gain is still within our collective reach. 'Inaction or simply slow progress will mean that UK offshore energy job numbers overall could drop by almost 20% to 125,000 by 2030, making the path towards net zero even harder to negotiate.'
