Aberdeen has launched a critical new support initiative, the NorthBridge centre, aimed at assisting oil and gas workers impacted by redundancies across the North Sea industry.
Situated on Huntly Street, the hub, led by Donna Hutchison, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Cyrenians, in collaboration with various training providers and community organisations, will provide essential financial and career guidance, alongside emotional and mental health support for offshore personnel facing job cuts.
The centre’s opening coincides with a period described by industry leaders as a “cliff-edge” for the North Sea sector, characterised by declining company profits and significant job losses.
A primary driver of these challenges is the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), also known as the windfall tax, which has elevated the total tax rate for oil and gas companies operating in the UK Continental Shelf to an effective 78%. This fiscal environment is widely cited as diminishing investment incentives and contributing to a steady reduction in domestic production capacity. The EPL is now expected to run until March 2030.
Recent data from the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s Q1 2026 Quarterly Economic Survey underscores the severe economic pressures in the North-east. The survey revealed that nearly half (46%) of businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire experienced a decline in cash flow over the past three months, marking the highest level since 2021. Furthermore, 43% of respondents anticipate a worsening of profits, with more firms expecting to reduce their workforce than to expand it this year. The Chamber highlighted a “toxic cocktail of challenges” impacting energy companies, with industry analysis suggesting the EPL could lead to over 1,000 job losses per month across the North Sea industry.
Major operators have already announced substantial workforce reductions. Harbour Energy, one of the UK’s largest independent oil and gas firms, anticipates cutting an additional 100 offshore jobs, adding to approximately 600 UK positions already eliminated since the introduction of the Energy Profits Levy. Similarly, Spirit Energy recently confirmed plans to close its Aberdeen office by the end of the year, potentially affecting around 100 jobs as part of a business restructuring.
NorthBridge aims to mitigate the profound personal and financial impact of job loss. Donna Hutchison had previously voiced concerns that thousands of former offshore workers, accustomed to higher incomes and significant financial commitments, might be compelled to seek support services for the first time. The hub is designed to offer early intervention, providing mental health and emotional support, alongside training and employment advice for individuals exploring new career paths.
Ms Hutchison articulated the deep personal toll of redundancy, stating: “Our careers are a big part of who we are, and when that is taken from you for no reason or through a process you can’t control or influence, that’s a form of trauma.”
The NorthBridge initiative is supported by funding from the SSEN Transmission Community Benefit Fund. Financial specialists will also be available to offer confidential advice in a “stigma-free” environment.
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The urgency of such support resonates with the findings of the Just Transition Commission’s “No Time to Lose” report, published in February 2026. This report warned that without a more robust strategy, industrial transformation in Scotland’s energy sector risks becoming “disorderly and unmanaged”.
“Redundancy isn’t just about losing a job – it’s about losing structure, confidence, and a sense of identity,” Ms Hutchison concluded. “NorthBridge exists in that space in between, before people reach crisis. If we’ve learned anything from other post-industrial communities, it’s that early human support matters. It’s far kinder and far cheaper to act early than to pick up the pieces later.”
The NorthBridge centre is scheduled to commence operations on Monday.
