The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) has published an updated version of its Best Practice Guide on Diversity and Inclusion.
The online resource aims to help offshore wind companies to measure and address issues of ethnicity and gender balance across their workforce.
The guide was first published by OWIC in 2020 as a key part of the Offshore Wind Sector Deal agreed between Government and industry.
The new guide states that although recognition of the importance of gender and ethnic diversity has risen in the sector, the “pace of change needs to increase to meet the objectives and targets we have set ourselves as an industry so that companies are more representative of society as a whole”.
The industry has committed to ensuring that at least 33% of its workforce are women by 2030 (up from 18% in 2020) with a stretch target of 40%.
“We are also aiming for at least 9% BAME staff by the end of the decade (up from 5% currently) with an ambition to reach 12%. OWIC has set up a Diversity Working Group of industry experts to help to achieve this,” OWIC stated.
Specific measures recommended in the guide include removing bias from job descriptions and promotional material to ensure they are fully representative of candidates from all backgrounds.
Companies are also being urged to hold open days for secondary school pupils and students in higher education, as well as providing CV and interview training and offering internships, grants and bursaries for target groups.
Companies are being advised to lead by example by ensuring that the make-up of their senior management team reflects the diverse nature of our society.
OWIC’s people and skills ethnicity champion Ranjit Mene from Green Tech Investment Partners said: “The update of the Best Practice Guide is designed to ensure that all companies active in the offshore wind industry in the UK are able to implement practical and proven steps to increase the diversity of their workforce in order to better represent the country’s population.
“It’s packed full of useful hints and tips as well as examples of what some organisations have already started doing to address this issue. Not only will this lead to a fairer outcome for people generally but it will also drive better performance – so a win-win for everyone concerned.”