A new workforce report has highlighted the challenges facing the UK renewables sector in ensuring it has the skilled workers necessary to meet future demand. The Engineering Construction Industry (ECI), which includes critical sectors such as oil and gas, nuclear, power generation, and renewables, plays a key role in helping the UK achieve its net-zero ambitions.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) Sectoral Workforce Census report provides an in-depth look at the renewables workforce within the ECI, collecting data from over 5,800 workers. According to the report, 81% of renewables employers in the ECI are facing difficulties hiring skilled workers, compared to 71% across the wider ECI in Great Britain.
Electrical and mechanical fitters, pipefitters, platers, non-destructive testing technicians, and planners are among the most difficult roles to fill, with employers citing a lack of qualifications, skills, and challenges in meeting salary expectations as major barriers to recruitment.
ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey stressed the importance of the report in addressing workforce challenges: “The Census is vital in helping industry understand labour market dynamics, anticipate workforce challenges and develop strategies to address skill gaps, such as in the renewables sector. Only through bringing in new talent and training and upskilling existing workers can industry secure the skilled workforce it needs both for now and the future.”
The renewables sector has grown rapidly within the ECI, nearly doubling its share of the overall workforce in just three years, increasing from 3.4% in 2021 to 6.2%. Biomass is the largest sub-sector, making up 24% of the renewables workforce, followed by energy from waste at 21%, offshore wind at 20%, and smaller shares for biofuels, onshore wind, and solar.
The report also noted workforce hotspots across the UK, including major cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester, with secondary hotspots in areas like Aberdeen and Pembroke. Employers in the sector anticipate an 18% increase in headcount by 2027, reflecting the growing importance of the renewables sector in the UK’s energy transition.
The sector’s workforce is notably younger than the wider ECI, with 22% of workers under 30 compared to 17% across the broader industry.
