The skills shortages within the renewables industry has been recognised by the government’s Energy White Paper as a major challenge. The occurrence of bottlenecks creates a risk with the ability to deploy offshore wind at scale, but the introduction of initiatives such as the Green Jobs Taskforce is the first step in tackling this. In order to work towards having more companies choosing the UK as their location for manufacturing, more skills need to be developed in the workforce as a long-term solution.
Wind signifies an easy win for the net-zero challenge, as the wind itself can be deployed at a large scale to help reduce carbon emissions. This deployment supports the creation of new jobs, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in the wind industry and initiating the green industrial revolution.
To reach the ambitions set out by the Energy White Paper, we need 50 gigawatts of wind. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that the total number of jobs in the wider field of energy could increase to 100 million globally by 2050. The sector is addressing the emerging skills gap with headhunting and job creation, but we must work towards addressing the shortages now.
WindEurope deputy chief executive Malgosia Bartosik said: “The transition from fossil fuels to renewables has only just begun.
“Take wind energy jobs in Europe: they are set to rise to 450,000 by 2030 – an increase of 50% from today.
“For this to become reality, Europe needs a skills and training revolution.
“But most importantly, we need to inspire young girls and boys to think about questions of climate, energy and sustainability.”
It is no secret that at CTS we are incredibly passionate about doing everything we can to support a greener future. We have been creating the next workforce through initiatives like the first-of-its-kind Green Energy Skills Bootcamp, launched in partnership with the Department for Education to give eligible candidates access to free industry training. Upon course completion, learners are awarded two globally recognised qualifications from the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA). We have also been out in the field encouraging young people to consider a career in the renewable energy industry, through events like the Liverpool City Region Skills Show.
CTS delivers a variety of renewable energy training courses, including GWO training and CITB training.
