Young professionals | No quick fix
A new report has highlighted how a shortage of green skills could impact the development of the UK’s hydropower workforce. With this in mind, efforts across Scotland, the Mekong and the Himalayas are focusing on youth engagement and easing the transition from academia to professional practice
‘GREEN SKILLS’ IS AN umbrella term widely used in academia, policy reports and private sector studies, and is associated with the knowledge and competencies required for the development of a sustainable, low-carbon future. Although research has indicated there is a green skills gap across the UK’s renewables sector, there is little or no mention of the impacts of this on the country’s hydropower industry. Even if hydropower is mentioned in such UK focused research, the data is said to often be lacking. Arguing that it’s vital to consider possible workforce challenges the hydro sector faces, given its critical role in the clean energy transition, the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change recently undertook a new study to address this. With input from across the UK and international hydropower sectors, interviews were conducted with representatives from the: British Hydropower Association. International Hydropower Association. Hydropower Sustainability Alliance. International Energy Agency. Long Duration Storage Council. Drax Hydro.
SSE Renewables. Statkraft.
As such a shortage of skills could hamper the UK’s efforts towards achieving net zero, this report by Eddy Sidebotham and Elena Faieta (called Mixed-Methods Study of the Green Skills Gap in the UK and Its Effect on the UK’s Hydropower Sector) aims to promote greater awareness, putting the UK hydropower’s green skills under the spotlight.
Key findings Key findings of the report include ‘strong recognition’
Below: There are no quick fixes for the UK’s green skills gap, especially as the hydropower sector often needs more specialist, technical skills that can take a long time to develop
of a green skills gap which impacts the country’s hydropower sector. Although some fields, such as legal and finance, were ‘well provisioned’, the most significant gaps were identified in electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. As the report states, out of the 1144 hydropower jobs postings analysed from January to December 2023, almost 74% were listed within the engineering category – highlighting a clear demand from employers for engineering skills. Looking at reasons behind such a skills gap, several
interviewees attributed it to the fact the UK hasn’t built large-scale hydropower projects for almost 50 years. And although the skills needed to deliver these projects do ‘largely exist in the UK’, they just don’t exist in the volume required to meet projected demands of projects currently in the pipeline, such as pumped storage schemes. And with most large-scale hydropower projects located in remote areas, there may also be challenges attracting the required skilled workers from urban areas.
14 | June 2025 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
Hydropower projects are also bespoke and site specific, and a lot of up-front engineering work is required which is where a shortage in skilled engineers creates bottlenecks in hydropower development. As the report points out, projects quite simply cannot progress past their initial stages without extensive engineering expertise and input. Across the hydropower industry there are also skill gaps in other specialist areas, such as ecology, tunnelling and geology. Several interviewees stressed the importance of future-proofing skills against the impacts of climate change, highlighting the need for knowledge in ecology, environmental impact and climate change resilience. And with the dynamics for skills requirements
evolving due to factors such as changing geopolitical circumstances, there is also an increasing need for cybersecurity and security skills. While growing recognition of the importance of ‘softer’ skills within the hydropower sector due to more extensive stakeholder engagement, means that communication skills are now particularly valued. As one interviewee stated, hydropower needs good communicators because there is limited understanding of what it does within the UK.
Referring to the need to upskill an entire ‘ecosystem’,
the report urges the growth of green skills beyond those who develop, operate and maintain hydropower. In other words, not just those directly employed by renewable energy companies but also planning and regulation specialists, as well as policymakers. A skills gap was also identified amongst planning authorities, due to a lack of handling new hydropower projects in recent decades, and may hinder hydropower development further.
Upskilling On a more positive note, as the UK transitions to
net zero, there are opportunities for oil and gas sector workers to reskill and move across into the hydropower sector because many of their skills could be transferable. However, unable to compete with the high salaries of oil and gas companies, hydropower needs to highlight its other benefits such as a long- term career, or the stability of working on one site for a long period of time. Ultimately, the report admits, there’s no denying that the UK hydropower sector is reliant on international expertise, particularly for specialist roles. Although a mix of foreign/domestic workers is common on most major projects, several interviewees in this study suggested the UK was ‘heavily reliant’ on international talent for developing hydropower projects, partly due to some necessary skills being ‘so scarce’ in the UK. And this makes projects slower.
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