Working for a Green Britain & Northern Ireland 2013–23
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www.RenewableUK.com Working for a Green Britain & Northern Ireland 2013–23 Employment in the UK Wind & Marine Energy Industries September 2013 RUK13-026-05 Cambridge Econometrics (CE) is a The Institute for Employment Research IFF Research is a long-standing full- leading economics consultancy providing (IER) was established by the University service research agency set up in 1965, independent analysis to support of Warwick in 1981. The IER is one of and employing 55 staff. It specialises decision- and policy-makers in business Europe’s leading centres for research in in studies on employment, learning and and government in the UK and around the labour market field. Its work focuses skills, working regularly for government the world. upon the operation of labour markets departments and agencies including and socio-economic processes related BIS, DWP, Sector Skills Councils, CE has an extensive track record of to employment and unemployment Skills Development Scotland, the innovative quantitative analysis, including in the UK at national, regional and Skills Funding Agency, and the UK the development and application of local levels. It includes comparative Commission for Employment and Skills economic models to fields such as European research on employment and (UKCES). energy and environmental policy; labour training. The IER’s research fields involve market analysis and forecasting; and addressing major issues of socioeconomic IFF undertakes studies employing the regional development issues in the UK behaviour and policy in their local, national full spectrum of research methodologies, and Europe. and international setting. from qualitative studies involving depth interviews and focus groups, to large Past clients include, in the UK: the UK The work of the IER covers a wide range quantitative surveys using online, postal, Commission for Employment and Skills, of research-related activities; basic telephone, and face-to-face approaches. the Committee on Climate Change, and strategic research; labour market BIS and DECC. CE also carries out assessment and evaluation; household More information can be found at: analysis, including Impact Assessments, and employer surveys; technical Web: www.iffresearch.com/ for several Directorates General of the assistance and consultancy; and an Email: [email protected] European Commission. advanced study programme. Tel: 020 7250 3035 CE was established in 1978 to provide The IER provides a range of research commercial access to research in the and analytical services to customers University of Cambridge. The company in both the public and private sectors. is now majority-owned by a charity, the It has conducted major research Cambridge Trust for New Thinking in projects for all the main UK government Economics. departments as well as for various international organisations, including the More information can be found at: ILO, OECD, European Commission, and Web: www.camecon.com Cedefop. In recent years, in conjunction Email: [email protected] with Cambridge Econometrics, IER has Tel: 01223 533100 undertaken a number of projects on demand for green skills across Europe. More information can be found at: Web: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier Email: [email protected] Tel: 02476 523283 Contents Forewords ____________________________________________________________________ 1 Executive Summary ____________________________________________________________ 3 1. Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 6 2. Method of Approach _________________________________________________________ 7 3. Overview of Survey Results __________________________________________________ 9 4. Future Employment by Technology ___________________________________________ 14 5. Employment by Nation _______________________________________________________ 39 6. Other Characteristics of the Labour Market ___________________________________ 40 7. Labour Market Challenges ___________________________________________________ 43 8. Conclusions ________________________________________________________________ 45 Appendix _____________________________________________________________________ 46 Cover image: Siemens press picture 1 Forewords report’s high deployment scenario and tidal sector are UK citizens, and shows the potential for a further 70,000 we want to ensure that this continues. additional direct and indirect jobs over The report alerts us to the fact that one the next decade, with nearly half of these third of employers surveyed reported in the offshore wind sector. hard-to-fill vacancies; it is crucial that as our sector grows, our people’s skills However, this research also makes clear grow with it. The industry, as detailed that there are a range of scenarios for in our newly published Skills Manifesto, growth, and that potential job numbers would like to see stronger leadership are closely tied to deployment. To from Government, capped by a national continue to develop jobs in significant Government-led skills strategy, with an numbers, we need substantial levels of emphasis on furnishing workers with deployment. Ambition and investment in the skills that industry needs. There are RenewableUK our technologies will see an increasing many creative solutions to this, from percentage of our electricity needs funding courses in areas where there It is a pleasure, once again, to present coming from wind, wave and tidal are skills shortages, to incentivising and this important research into current and sites. This will translate not only to the encouraging more students into STEM future employment in the UK from the powering of millions more homes, but subjects. This includes ensuring even wind, wave and tidal energy industries. also to the creation of tens of thousands more women enter the industry – 20% of jobs. This report clearly shows of employees in our sectors are female, This report, which updates research that if this ambition falters, we could a good comparison with the rest of the carried out in 2010, shows the role that see not only a failure to develop our energy sector, but as in many areas, wind, wave and tidal energy is playing sectors’ workforce, but also the threat we wish to be trailblazers and see as a growth engine to the UK. In the last of job losses. This is particularly true that figure grow even further. Through three years, direct jobs in our industry for offshore wind, which needs to see the Renewables Training Network have increased by 74% to just under substantial growth in deployment over established by RenewableUK and the 18,500, a fantastic leap which shows the next decade to enable it to achieve excellent apprenticeship schemes that the growing importance of this industry. its employment potential. our members run, and with the help of This year’s research also shows the providers such as Energy and Utility number of jobs which the wind, wave To achieve this new greener economy, Skills, industry is also ready and willing and tidal industries support in the Government and industry must work to do its part to ensure that our sectors broader economy: from lorry drivers to together. Government has a role to play have the workers we need. gearbox manufacturers, there are now in policy development, in ensuring that some 16,000 people who do not work a long-term vision for the wind, wave What this report demonstrates is the directly in, but owe their employment and tidal sectors is clearly set out so huge scale of opportunity. A growing to, our industries. The industry should that business has the confidence to sector today can be a booming one feel rightly proud of the 34,500 people invest in hiring and training the next tomorrow, with the potential for a who now work for or are supporting generation of workers. This means trebling of employment over the next it. It’s important we remember these both a communication of the long- decade. Challenges are in place tens of thousands of individuals who term ambition for the sector, and – namely the need for a long-term take pride in their work, building out a the right policy framework to make it policy framework to allow industry the new generation of low carbon energy happen in terms of the market support confidence to invest, and the need to projects, and who make up a highly arrangements. With changes to both grasp the skills challenge by the mettle skilled, highly trained workforce. These large- and small-scale renewables – but these can be overcome to allow us are people who deserve our support, support, it is not an exaggeration to talk to be a truly green collar nation. and the confidence that their decision to about the UK being at a crucial juncture seek a career in this market means they in terms of whether it will develop to its can plan for their future while playing an true green employment potential. Maria McCaffery important role in helping the UK shift to a Chief Executive, RenewableUK low carbon economy. There is also work to do to ensure that employers are able to procure talent The scale of the opportunity is greater local to them. I was pleased to see that still. Looking ten years ahead, this 91% of employees in the wind, wave 2 most severe in managerial and technical of skills to meet the future demands of professional disciplines, representing a the industry in a timely and effective clear demand for Science, Technology, manner. The challenge will be to ensure Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) that the UK has the skills available in skills. Exacerbating this problem will the workforce to capitalise