Over half of offshore oil and gas workers in Scotland would be interested in renewables and offshore wind if given the option to retrain, according to a survey of the workforce produced by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Greenpeace UK and Platform.
‘OFFSHORE: Workers’ Views on Industry Conditions and the Energy Transition’ found that 81% would consider switching to another sector, with only 7% saying they definitely want to stick with oil and gas.
Survey answers also provided insight into solutions that workers consider central to protecting industry workers’ career prospects.
One worker suggested: “It should be a condition of getting a licence to build a wind farm in Scotland that the fabrication is awarded to a Scottish based yard.”
Another said: “Offer training to allow skills to be transferred from oil and gas to renewables sectors.
“Invest heavily in renewables. Encourage children, students, graduates away from an unsustainable oil and gas sector and into renewables.
“As Scotland has huge wind/wave/hydro resources she must become a front runner in the global renewables sector.”
The report also said no public body has attempted a broad consultation of offshore workers about their livelihoods and the future of the energy industry.
The top priority for workers was job security, with 43% of respondents saying they had been made redundant or furloughed since March.
Friends of the Earth Scotland, Greenpeace UK and Platform are calling for the UK and Scottish Governments to sit down with workers to shape policy together so that their experiences and ideas are used to steer Covid-19 recovery packages and the energy transition.
Friends of the Earth Scotland “Just Transition” campaigner Ryan Morrison said: “These workers are the backbone of our energy sector but have faced years of job insecurity amid volatile oil markets, lax regulation and now the global pandemic.
“Despite the Scottish Government’s rhetoric, the idea of a just transition has failed to reach the overwhelming majority of the workers who will be most directly impacted.
“Workers’ voices must be at the centre of that transition process. The government must ensure oil and gas workers are supported into secure and sustainable jobs.”
He added: “These results reveal an urgent need to improve terms and conditions for workers offshore and tackle job insecurity.
“The solutions provided by the workers could also increase opportunities in renewables and make the process of transition to renewables far easier.”