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What can we do about renewable energy skills shortages?
March 4th, 2011 by Simon HaddockIf the UK is going to successfully reduce its carbon emission targets, something has to be done to overcome the current skills shortages.
In the dim and distant past, the UK made prolific use of child labour to do the jobs no-one else wanted to do. Luckily, that system has long since been outlawed. We also had apprenticeship schemes, which were an excellent way of providing young men with the skills necessary to carry out a trade.
But since the early 1800s, skilled British workers have felt the urge to seek greener pastures overseas; first to continental Europe and then to the ‘New World’.
Jump forward in time to the 1970s and 80s and the oil and gas industry was booming. It was THE industry to work in. Fun, vibrant, exciting and the pay rates were excellent. But when oil prices started to rise, thoughts turned to sources of alternative energy.
To kick-start any new project you need a pool of qualified specialists to guide it along. And that’s still a major problem in the UK. Fewer people are taking engineering and science degrees and therefore graduate numbers are declining. So what are the solutions? Industry specific academies are being set up, science is being promoted in our schools and the government has promised funding.
The European wind industry sector has been creating 33 new jobs every day for the past 5 years. By 2020, the industry will be employing 325,000 people. But where are they going to come from? Global demand for renewable specialists is already increasing and, as the sector grows, so will the demand.
Renewable energy companies need an effective way to select the top employees and Resourcing Solutions has the service and technology to source the best candidates for the job. We are committed to building a genuine low carbon community through closer working relationships with our clients. After all, it’s in everybody’s best interest to have top-class professionals in place if we’re to have a successful sustainable energy programme in the UK.
Tags: alternative energy, carbon, carbon emissions, environment, Environmental, green jobs, low carbon, oil and gas, oil and gas industry, Renewable Energy, renewable energy projects, science, skills shortage, sustainablilty, wind industry, wind jobs, wind power
March 5th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
To increase our skills base it is upto the UK businesses to promote the ECTIB apprenticeship scheme and the likes it is also important that skills do not lie with timed served parties alone, the skills of the un-ualified worker has plays a vital role in big industry, the power industry needs to promote and build on this vital resource, essential to keep Britons on the map. Skills promoting from the shop floor will not only promote the British Standard which is slowly deteriating but will also ensure the jobs go to the right people. We all know money buys alot of things however money does not ensure quality, safety and production deadlines the British worker does, which has historical and time served evidence to back it up, the history of the working classes speaks for itself.
March 7th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Hi Lee, thanks for the response but a genuine apprenticeship (not the government short courses which teach nothing) can take up to 5 years and we have a big gap in the skills market now. In the short term and given the dire state of our energy reserves and the need to develop our renewable energy in double quick time wouldn’t it be prudent to import some of these key skills as a stop gap whilst we get our own workforce skilled up?
April 11th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Well,
I’m under-employed mature person with an HND in Electrical Engineering gained in the ’70’s. Just in time for the jobs to fade; I got work in electronics then IT – which have since faded.
I’ve met people recently who did the same HND 10 years earlier – they have been in full work and are working into their retirement, due to the skills shortages.
So I’m looking to get into Power. It’ll cost me £25K as the right way forward seems to be an MSc (un-funded, no loans, £12,300 fees) – due for Sept 2011 start. I’ll have 10 years working life to go, so if I get a decent role it’s money well spent…
But. I’ve been looking at the job market over the last few months and VERY SLIM PICKINGS it is. I’m really really wondering if I’m going to waste £25K. Regardless of the warnings, propaganda and news reports, there is no evidence of jobs. Recruitment is zero right now.
Given that the skills model right now is broken – I suspect that the renewables sector is going to be dominated by companies who CAN deliver; and they’ll be non-UK. So non-UK staff.
Am I wasting my money?