SKILLS GAP
The danger we face is losing many of these new jobs to a foreign workforce, and therefore losing out on the associated economic benefits of employment growth.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS To avoid this situation, it is critical we tap into the vast resource of transferable skills within our marine sector. The North Sea Oil and Gas industry is an obvious source of relevant skills, but we must provide the incentives for skills migration, as well as the appropriate training. On a like for like basis, wages in the O&G sector still exceed that of the offshore wind industry, so the Government and industry must find new ways to attract talent.
PARTNERSHIPS It is also critical that the education sector continues to form partnerships with the offshore industry to create relevant courses and qualifications. For example, Furness College and Furness Training, the Business Development Arm of the College, recently set up the Furness Skills Forum for Environmental Technologies.
The Forum enables the College to engage with local and national employers, schools and education providers, to facilitate networking opportunities, identify skill shortages and develop relevant training courses. A ‘National Wind Training Centre’ has also been set up to provide hands on specialist training for offshore wind sector workforces, graduates and trainees.
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE By investing in these ‘centres of excellence’ in training and education, and tapping into the vast network of transferable skills in the marine industry, the UK should be able to develop the talent required to meet the huge employment potential in the offshore wind sector.
Richard Hatton REpower UK
www.repower-uk.co.uk
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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