The chief executive of Great British Energy has said the publicly owned firm is recruiting “about two people a week” as it builds up its workforce.
Dan McGrail said the company was “recruiting at pace” and pledged that its investments could create 10,000 additional jobs, with the “huge majority” of those in Scotland.
Recruitment targets for Aberdeen
While there had been suggestions that GB Energy would employ 1,000 people at its Aberdeen headquarters, Mr McGrail said the firm was anticipating employing 300 people there “by the middle of next year”.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, he said that was the total in the strategic workforce plan, adding: “We’re halfway through recruiting that at the moment.”
The chief executive confirmed the firm was “recruiting about two people a week at the moment”.
Investment and job creation plans
In the wake of the 2024 general election, GB Energy chairman Juergen Maier had told MPs the company could create more than 1,000 more jobs at its HQ – although he stated that total could take decades to achieve.
But Mr McGrail said that investment from the energy firm could create 10,000 additional jobs in the sector. He told how GB Energy plans to “crowd in £15 billion of additional investment as a result of our activities”, with the firm investing in projects to deliver 15 gigawatts of electricity.
Mr McGrail continued: “We want to, as a result of that investment, create 10,000 additional jobs in the UK, the huge majority of those will be in Scotland.
“They’re the measures, writ large in our strategic plan, that I want to be held accountable for because they are absolutely what we believe we can deliver.”
Royal visit to headquarters
His comments on jobs came in the wake of the King’s visit to the firm’s Aberdeen headquarters earlier this week. Mr McGrail said the royal visit was about “saying we’re very much open for business”.
