New skills partnership aims to tackle demand for renewables workforce

A new partnership to establish training and assessment standards for the UK’s growing renewables workforce has been launched by RenewableUK and Energy and Utility Skills, the skills organisation for the UK’s energy and utilities industries.

It is hoped that the partnership will allow the renewables sector to develop national occupational standards, apprenticeship standards and frameworks, as well as courses and other modular training programmes for both new entrants and existing workers.

The offshore wind industry alone is expected to require an additional 70,000 workers by 2030 with particular needs around areas such as project management, electrical engineering, health and safety, planning, welding and cabling.

The new partnership has said international standards developed by the Global Wind Organisation and will play major role in helping to create a specific UK approach.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said: “The renewable energy sector is crying out for thousands of new people to join our growing industry. But to achieve this, we need the qualifications and training, entry routes and career pathways to attract and then retain and develop the workforce, whether from our schools and colleges or from carbon intensive sectors like oil and gas.

“This exciting partnership provides the sector with a means of delivering these interventions through Energy & Utility Skills’ considerable experience and expertise across the energy and utilities sector.”

Chief Executive of Energy & Utility Skills, Phil Beach, said: “The partnership between Energy & Utility Skills and RenewableUK is both timely and critical to ensuring that we have the skilled workforce that we need to grow the renewable energy sector.  We face a strategic workforce and skills challenge, as the competition for talent increases to meet the demands of delivering net zero, environmental improvement and wider infrastructure projects.

“Against this backdrop, we are committed to ensuring that we attract and retain the people we need to join this exciting industry.  And we are equally determined to ensure the development of high-quality qualifications, apprenticeships and industry schemes that enable a diverse range of talent to enjoy a career with real purpose. I very much look forward to working with RenewableUK and industry to make this a reality.”

RenewableUK represents 500 organisations across the renewables sector, while Energy and Utility Skills, represents all major asset owners in the gas, power and water industries.

The partnership will see each organisation gain representation on the others’ skills governance groups and support delivery of the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and other strategic ambitions for skills in the energy and utilities sector.