The UK offshore wind workforce is expected to grow by 48% in the next five years, according to new research published today.
The figure was revealed in the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) Labour Forecasting Tool (LFT), which provides insights into workforce numbers across regions and sectors.
The engineering construction industry (ECI) includes renewables sectors that will play a crucial role in the UK meeting its net zero ambitions, such as offshore wind, solar, hydrogen and other industries linked to the energy transition.
According to the research, the ECI workforce deployed in offshore wind will reach 28,000 by 2030, a rise of 48%.
The ECITB’s latest forecast reveals that by 2030 the hydrogen workforce could grow to more than 4500, an increase of 195%. The combined workforce across other renewable sectors, including onshore wind, solar, biomass, energy from waste and biofuels, is predicted to grow by 20% to total more than 5800.
Roles most in demand across these sectors will include design engineers, project managers, project controllers, commissioning technicians, general operatives and electrical technicians, among others.
The LFT previously stated that demand across industry would peak in 2028, but this has now shifted to 2030 due to delays in some projects coinciding with other planned activity, as well as a potential wave of retirements in key roles.
The revised predictions were possible thanks to a record response rate from industry employers for the latest iteration of the ECITB Workforce Census.
The ECITB Workforce Census 2024 offered a comprehensive overview of the ECI workforce across renewables and other sectors linked to net zero, covering distribution across regions, demographic trends, hiring challenges and business opportunities.
ECITB chief executive Andrew Hockey (pictured) said: “The updates to the LFT reinforce the scale of the challenges facing the industry that were outlined in our workforce census report, which revealed that 81% of renewables employers in the ECI are experiencing challenges hiring workers.
“We recognise that addressing skills shortages in these sectors requires a collaborative, multi-agency approach that includes employers, governments, training providers and the ECITB.
“So, we’re calling on all of industry to work together to help increase the pool of people joining the ECI, while continuing to train and upskill existing workers.
“By investing in the workforce, the industry has a fighting chance of closing the skills gap and ensuring it has the skilled workforce it needs both for now and the future.”