The energy sector is currently undergoing a significant transformation. According to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy sources are expected to make up 80% of new power generation capacity by 2030, with offshore wind playing a crucial role in this shift.
The UK's Industrial Growth Plan (IGP), supported by RenewableUK, the Offshore Wind Industry Council, The Crown Estate, and Crown Estate Scotland, underscores the country's position with the second-largest global pipeline of offshore wind projects under development, amounting to nearly 100GW. This capacity is more than six times the current capacity and is projected to contribute an additional £25 billion to the UK's economy by 2035.
To meet these ambitious goals, the energy sector and policymakers must align to attract public and private investment into the industry. However, one often overlooked aspect is the need for more skilled workers in this high-growth sector.
The Skills Deficit
A recent report from the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) indicates a substantial rise in job opportunities in the offshore wind sector by 2030. For the first time, the projected jobs are set to surpass 100,000, with a sharp increase over the next seven years. To handle the anticipated offshore wind project pipeline, the industry must attract and retain an average of 10,000 individuals annually.
Politicians and campaigners in the UK and abroad routinely emphasise the plethora of jobs created by a thriving offshore wind sector, which forms a critical rebuttal to arguments that transitioning towards green energy would be detrimental to the overall economy.
The urgency of upskilling in all these areas is paramount, and it is a crucial responsibility for policymakers to ensure the necessary support and resources are in place. The vast roles require an extensive range of electronic skills such as high-level electrical, technical, and engineering skills. This is further amplified by the need to upgrade the power network and establish battery storage sites.
There will also be significant demand for skills in advanced digital specialisations, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, software development, and machine learning. In addition to technical roles, expertise in project management, legal and policy advisory, environmental impact assessments (EIA), stakeholder management, land management, and bidding are incredibly valued in this field.
However, without adequately preparing people for jobs in the sector, the rewards remain hypothetical. We need to demonstrate the societal and economic benefits for thousands of people by taking decisive action and creating career pipelines.
Bridging the gap
To bridge the skills gap, a collaborative effort from the industry, government, and education providers is needed to offer accessible and affordable training to people across the UK. Too many young people leave the educational system without the skills required for the fastest-growing sectors.
By modifying existing educational courses and degrees and developing specialised training programmes to showcase the benefits of a career in renewable energy the industry can offer the support and training necessary to build a successful career.
RS Group has an in-house Youth & Community team, who work to develop the future engineering workforce by working on initiatives like internships, work placements, and skills workshops. In the recent Global Offshore Wind event, hosted by Ørsted, the Renewables team supported Kinewell at a workshop. They brought together over 60 school children to tackle inter-array cable layout optimisation – designing cable layouts for offshore wind farms to reduce costs and improve reliability. The best design outperformed industry submissions, showcasing the exciting potential of young engineers and the value of hands-on learning experiences in solving real-world challenges.
Energy & Utility Skills is another organisation that addresses workforce challenges and skills within this sector. With its membership comprising the major utility companies’ suppliers in the UK, the organisation is dedicated to developing learning and development solutions to attract the right skills into the sector. For example, they are currently developing a wind turbine apprenticeship standard.
Opportunity knocks
The UK government has highlighted increasing offshore wind capacity as a key priority, committing to quadruple offshore wind capacity by 2030, along with plans to double onshore wind and triple solar power.
It is critical that the government recognises the significant opportunity presented by the offshore wind sector from an energy security, environmental, and societal perspective. Providing the necessary training in this sector will offer substantial and lasting societal benefits. By creating thousands of job opportunities in this industry, we can reduce unemployment, alleviate poverty, and enhance workforce productivity, offering people across the UK fulfilling careers with in-demand, future-proof skills.
Roni Maxted is Director of Renewables at RS Group
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