Transferable skills provide relief for green sector shortages

The Bain Report published in 2008 suggests there are 5000 direct full time employees recorded in the UK large-scale wind energy industry and wave and tidal industries combined, and that the sector will deliver no less than 70,000 new jobs by 2020, encompassing both senior and mid level management roles, as well as high skilled labour. This equates to a 25% per year increase.

This growth will be seen in sectors ranging from offshore wind power to eco-friendly packaging design. 26,000 of these jobs will come from emerging technologies including 10,000 from carbon capture and storage and a further 8000 jobs provided by environmental management opportunities such as consultancy work and pollution control.

Temporary shortages

As with any industry in its infancy however, rapid growth often brings temporary skills shortages. Just as the water, gas and electricity sectors have experienced shortages in recent years, the green energy sector is also lacking skills.

These shortages have resulted from a number of factors, ranging from an ageing workforce demographic, to a lack of trained and skilled employees coming through the system. The shortages have also been exacerbated by employers’ reluctance to take on managers and skilled workers from other sectors, as well as a lack of awareness of the opportunities. Potential employees are neither informed nor incentivised enough, and this is affecting the throughput of talent into the industry.

A short term fix

Although government funded training and development schemes are helping provide new talent, the transferable skills market is increasingly seen as a short to medium term fix to the problem. For example, the UK’s engineering and maintenance sectors, especially automotive, civil and offshore engineering, have been earmarked as a critical resource for the move to ‘cross skilling.’

Skilled workers with experience in grid connections, heavy industry, electrical engineering, maintenance work, logistics and operations are all in high demand, and will be required to oversee the development of upcoming green energy projects and cutting-edge technologies, from wind turbines to smart grid software.

Software developers, data analysts and marine scientists are also required for technical analysis work in the emerging wave, tidal and biomass sectors, and mechanical and electrical engineers are needed for project design and development work on wind farms.

Filling the gap

To ensure we fill the skills gap and make best use of existing transferable skills, employers, trade associations, local and national government and recruitment companies must work closely together, ensuring the demand for skills is met by supply, and that the skills being produced match the needs of employers.

We also need clarity and direction from the government. The industry will need up to £550 billion of investment by 2020, a portion of which must be directed towards training and skills development.

Direction of funding

What the industry needs to know now is where this funding is going to be channelled, and when this is likely to happen? What kind of grants and incentive schemes will be available, and what will they look like? What new training budgets will be developed both for Further Education institutions and for vocational skills development?

Time is also of the essence. Despite the positive messages, the danger is many of the new jobs created by the renewable energy sector could go abroad if we can’t provide the skills domestically. Countries such as Germany and Denmark for example, are already in a position to fill the skills gap due to their pedigree in wind turbine manufacturing and operations.

By investing in further education courses, incentivising energy companies to ‘cross skill’ through bridge training courses, raising awareness of the opportunities, and creating ‘pan industry’ skills planning groups, we can ensure we maximise the talent we have domestically, and ensure a trend of positive employment growth up to 2020 and beyond.

Author: Tom Hopkinson, Managing Director of Taylor Hopkinson Associates. For more information on the latest career opportunities please visit www.taylorhopkinson.com/candidate or call (0) 141 202 0760 or email: james@candidmedia.biz.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/05082010/renewable_energy_jobs_outlook/