The Government has approved a new program to assist workers who have been in oil and gas industries in transitioning into renewable energy.
The Energy Skills Passport, which will launch in January, allows workers and employers to identify the qualifications and standards needed for offshore wind roles.
Ed Miliband and Gillian Martin, Scottish cabinet secretary for energy and net zero, have written to the directors of Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK to say that the passport is an “important step” towards “transitioning to Net Zero in society”.
The Department will assist the project by convening stakeholders from different industries and sectors, to work together and develop this passport.
The letter said: “We are also happy to provide project management advice on request in order to expedite delivery of the passport.”
The Energy Skills Passport will be managed jointly by Renewable UK, OEUK and be an interactive tool that workers can use. The passport will help workers map their potential career paths and ensure that no training courses are duplicated.
The first version will be focused on the transition from offshore wind to other sectors. Future versions will include more information.
Jane Cooper, Executive Director of Offshore Wind at RenewableUK said: “The increase in offshore wind jobs this decade and beyond will create excellent opportunities for highly skilled oil and gas workers who want to apply their valuable experience to clean energy.
The energy skills passport is an excellent example of what can be achieved together. We will continue to explore other areas of potential work that could further support workers’ transition between sectors.
Katy Heidenreich is the director of OEUK’s supply chain and human resources. She said that collaboration was crucial if this sector wanted to reach its full potential.
This industry and its people are known for their excellence, and have a wide range of transferable abilities from legal and business expertise to engineering and construction.
This is a way that the UK can support its workforce in building a homegrown transition to energy that leaves no-one behind. This is part of a toolkit that this industry has assembled to work with the government in order to overcome the challenges of our energy future and to seize its opportunities.
Over 200,000 people are employed in the UK oil and gas industry. The offshore wind sector already employs over 32,000 workers, and this number is expected to reach over 100,000 by 2030.
OEUK commissioned a study that shows 90% of workers in the oil and gas sector have transferable skills to jobs offshore in renewable energy.
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