Leaders from the energy industry have aligned on a roadmap for a prototype ‘energy skills passport’ that would enable cross-sector recognition of energy industry expertise and training.
Delivering on a commitment set out in both the North Sea Transition Deal and Offshore Wind Sector Deal between industry and the UK government, the skills passport is intended to show workers how employers can recognise skills and qualifications across sectors such as oil and gas and offshore wind.
This would make it simpler for workers to move across the energy mix, preserving and expanding the UK’s homegrown energy industry and speeding the energy transition process.
Oil and gas production in the UK is declining by around 12% per year. Research commissioned by Offshore Energies UK showed that 90% of oil and gas sector workers have skills transferable to new offshore jobs in renewable energy.
Energy industry leaders are keen to employ UK workers with relevant skills from various sectors, necessitating a framework for recognising specialist expertise.
A panel of Offshore Energies UK, RenewableUK, OPITO, Global Wind Organisation, and representatives from oil and gas and offshore wind energy sector employers, alongside government, trade unions and trade and skills bodies, have contributed expertise to the skills passport project.
The Integrated People and Skills Strategy, developed by energy skills organisation OPITO on behalf of the UK oil and gas sector, estimates that the total number of jobs in energy production will reach 211,000 by 2030. It is suggested that the passport could be adapted across other sectors.
While the UK offshore wind industry already employs 32,000, according to Renewable UK, with the number expected to rise to 100,000 by 2030, thousands of skilled workers are currently employed in the UK oil and gas sector.
Bridging the industry’s skills gap
The energy skills passport project is focused on aligning technical qualifications and mapping safety standards, creating career pathways for relevant roles and creating a mechanism for employers and employees to understand recognised standards.
So far, the project has created career pathway information for over thirty oil and gas roles and entry routes into the wind industry. User testing of the new mechanism is scheduled for the summer and autumn before a final version is made freely available later this year.
RenewableUK’s executive director of offshore wind, Jane Cooper, said: “We are strongly committed to easing the transfer of workers from different parts of the energy sector into renewables. Offshore wind companies need to attract oil and gas workers with valuable experience and transferable skills into our sector.
“We will continue to work with a wide range of partners and colleagues from other organisations to achieve this, enabling highly skilled people to find new career opportunities in the transition to clean power.”
Scottish Government Minister for Climate Action, Gillian Martin, added: “I welcome this progress by industry on developing an Offshore Skills Passport for Scotland’s oil and gas workers.
“Our valued and highly skilled offshore energy workforces play a vital role in the transition to renewable energy sources and the passport will play an important role in supporting this. We urge industry partners to further develop and roll out this initiative at pace.”
Separately, E.ON has joined Engineering UK’s network of corporate members to ensure young people are inspired to progress into engineering and technology careers. National Grid is also a corporate member of the association.
Recently, Current± heard from National Grid’s supply chain partners in the Great Grid Upgrade how the scheme will take an alternative approach to the UK’s supply chain and skills issues, bringing together National Grid’s partners to work collectively. Read more about the Great Grid Partnership here.
