Offshore wind and oil and gas industry players have aligned on a roadmap for a prototype “energy skills passport” to enable cross-sector recognition of industry expertise and training.
The passport is intended to show both workers and employers how expertise and qualifications can be recognised by employers across sectors such as oil and gas and offshore wind, according to a joint announcement by RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
A cross-sector partnership comprising OEUK, RenewableUK, OPITO, Global Wind Organisation and representatives from oil and gas and offshore wind energy sector employers alongside government, trade unions, trade and skills bodies, have contributed expertise to the skills passport project.
The industry-led project has been supported by £3.7m in funding from the Scottish government’s Just Transition Fund to OPITO, reflecting the particular importance of the offshore energy transition for Scotland.
The focus of the passport project is on the alignment of technical qualifications and the mapping of safety standards, the creation of career pathways for relevant roles, and a mechanism for employers and employees to understand recognised standards.
The ability for workers to move smoothly around all parts of the energy mix, from jobs in the oil and gas sector to specialist roles in wind and other areas of the energy transition, can help preserve and expand the UK’s homegrown energy industry and speed the transition process.
There are thousands of skilled workers in the UK oil and gas sector and this is set to decline in the decades ahead, while the growing UK offshore wind industry already employs 32,000 people and that number is expected to rise to over 100,000 by 2030.
Industry training bodies estimate the total number of jobs in energy production will reach 211,000 by 2030 and the passport could be adapted for other sectors to help the UK and devolved nations meet their net zero targets.
Research commissioned by OEUK showed that 90% per cent of oil and gas industry workers have skills which can be transferred to new offshore jobs in renewable energy.
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.”
OEUK Supply Chain and People Director Katy Heidenreich said: “A skilled future, secure energy, and a sustainable journey to net zero – that is what our people represent.
“That is what our people can deliver with the right support and cross-sector mobility.”
Scottish Government Minister for Climate Action, Gillian Martin said: “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.”