UK groups develop offshore energy skills passport

Two UK trade associations will introduce a scheme next January to help Britain’s energy sector personnel, including those in oil and gas, take up new roles in offshore wind development.

The Energy Skills Passport is a cooperation between RenewableUK and Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), with support from the UK and Scottish governments.

It is designed to allow both employers and individuals to identify which qualifications and training standards are needed for specific roles in offshore wind.

An interactive tool will be available to provide clarity on qualifications that are recognized across the sector, for duplication of training courses, as well as for plotting potential career paths.

The passport will be made available to a select number of testers later this year before being rolled out in full in the new year. 

According to OEUK, Britain’s oil and gas sector supports more than 200,000 jobs, while the offshore wind industry employs 32,000—and this is expected to rise to more than 100,000 by 2030.

Research suggests that 90% of oil and gas industry staff possess skills that could be transferred to future jobs in offshore renewable energy. These include offshore wind maintenance and commissioning technicians, high-voltage senior authorized persons and troubleshooting technicians.