£1.25m offshore renewables skills academy plan for historic Montrose Port building
Montrose is set to be the home of an innovative skills academy to offer young people a route into the burgeoning renewables sector. It will be set up in the historic Customs House at Montrose port using £1.25 million of Tay Cities Deal funding. The joint scheme involves Angus Council, Montrose Port Authority and Dundee and Angus College.
There are hopes the academy will help train the next generation as part of the town’s long-term ambition to be a key player in the industry.
The Tay Cities joint committee is poised to consider the project on Friday. Angus councillors this week gave their backing to the idea. A full business case is ready for submission to the Scottish Government for approval.
The academy initiative was described as an “exciting opportunity” by Angus policy and resources committee members. But they want to see the door opened to young people from across the district with improved travel links.
Montrose Port acquired the 19th century landmark on the north quayside in 2023. The transformation of the historic building is continuing. The academy will be located on the ground floor of Customs House, leaving space on the upper floor for other offshore wind developers.
Its aim is to allow Dundee & Angus College and other training providers to provide a full spectrum of skills development services. Those will focus on industrial energy transition, particularly within offshore renewables.
Angus Council leader George Meechan said:
“This is a good news story for certainly the port, but hopefully Angus as a whole.”
The Tay Cities funding is being re-directed from the council’s ambitious Zero Four project in Montrose. Site Zero Four was unveiled in 2020 as a £500m vision to create 2,000 new Angus jobs. Delayed plans for low carbon industrial units there led to the Tay Cities funding being directed to the new project.
Montrose councillor Iain Gall said:
“47,000 people are employed in green energy. But sometimes there’s that block to get school leavers etc. into that market.
“It’s worth £15 billion and it’s is a great opportunity to allow the transition and get those skills out there.
“We know how successful the port has been and the opportunities are huge.”
Kirriemuir councillor Julie Bell hopes travel for people in more remote parts of Angus will be considered.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” she said.
“But one of the challenges for young people across the wider Angus area is public transport.
“Looking at areas like the glens, a (free) bus pass isn’t going to do any good if you’ve got a two or three-hour walk to a bus stop.
“I would hate to see people losing out because they just couldn’t get there.”
The council hopes to tap into funding which could look at improving connectivity, such as between Forfar and Montrose where there is currently no direct bus service.
Montrose Port recently secured permission for another major development at the opposite end of the town. The former Forties Road fire training centre site will become warehousing, offices and small business units.
This article appeared in the Courier on 18 June 2026