The Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and RenewableUK are launching a new website today, Energycareers2050, to highlight the opportunities on offer for people, communities and businesses wanting to make the transition from other industries, such as oil and gas, into our world-leading offshore wind sector.
The website provides practical information on training requirements, Health and Safety standards and how to acquire the right qualifications for a career in wind energy. It brings together key documents published by RenewableUK, the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and the Health and Safety organisations G+ and SafetyOn. Like other highly skilled sectors, our industry operates in a unique environment which requires specific health and safety training.
This is the latest in a series of initiatives to implement the Offshore Wind Sector Deal agreed by the industry and Government in 2019, ensuring that the UK maximises the economic and environmental benefits which wind energy has to offer as we decarbonise our energy system, including a Just Transition for workers from fossil fuel industries. Over 26,000 people already work in the UK’s offshore wind sector, and this is forecast to rise to over 69,000 over the next four years. Private companies are investing more than £10 billion a year between now and 2026.
The Co-Chair of OWIC, Vattenfall’s UK Country Manager Danielle Lane, said
“This new online resource will help us to increase the number of skilled people working in the sector by attracting a wide pool of talent. In particular it will enable workers from other parts of the energy sector, including oil and gas, to take an exciting new direction their career by transferring their highly valued skills, knowledge and experience to offshore wind”.
RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn said:
“This initiative underlines the fact that the highest standard of training is our sector's top priority, focussing on the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce as a key part of the Just Transition to Net Zero. We’re determined to maximise the number of high-quality jobs in offshore wind which we’re creating all around the country, including coastal communities. This new website will provide people with the information they need to have at their fingertips to move from the fossil fuel sector and join our rapidly expanding workforce”.
The Energycareers2050 website is available here.
