Pembrokeshire has been identified as a ‘key growth region for clean energy’ and is set to receive around £1 million in skills funding.
The skills regional funding comes from the UK Government’s Office for Clean Energy Skills Fund and will be awarded for skills mapping to the Welsh Government. It will be responsible for developing a plan for how best to target the money.
The UK Government said funding could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers, supporting people into opportunities in industries such as welding, electrical engineering, and construction.
It added that Pembrokeshire would also be considered for further funding for targeted measures such as new training centres and courses to upskill workers.
Rebecca Evans, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, said:
“This is excellent news for Pembrokeshire and the surrounding area, and I’m delighted that the Welsh Government will be leading this pilot. It’s another example of how, working alongside the UK Government, we are unlocking the vast opportunities in Wales as we upskill our workforce, deliver green jobs and drive forward clean power and energy security.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“There is huge potential for economic growth in Wales, fuelled by clean energy technology like floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
“This skills pilot in Pembrokeshire will create a workforce here in Wales ready to take on a new generation of jobs in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”
Employers will also get a handbook which highlights where businesses can access support to grow and upskill their workforce. This will include, for example, sector-based work academy programmes which help jobseekers into the sector, ensuring they have the necessary skills to deliver clean power by 2030.
Aberdeen, Cheshire and Lincolnshire have also been identified as key growth regions.
A “skills passport” is also being launched by UK Government in collaboration with industry and Scottish Government. Oil and gas workers will be able to access the skills passport online, which will initially help them identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance.
Workers will be able to create an account to access the four career pathways currently available, helping them identify where their existing qualifications are recognised.
Led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK, the tool will be expanded over the coming year to recognise other pathways from oil and gas into the renewable sector.
RenewableUK's Executive Director of Offshore Wind Jane Cooper said:
“To grow our world-class offshore wind industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that British oil and gas workers can bring to our sector.
“The Energy Skills Passport provides a pathway for them into clean energy by identifying which offshore wind roles which would suit them best and setting out the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.
“It’s a practical tool which demonstrates our determination to bring the tangible benefits of the energy transition to workers right across the energy sector, supported by the Government, employers, trade unions and training providers”.
Offshore Energies UK’s Director of Supply Chain & People, Katy Heidenreich, said:
“We are pleased to be working with RenewableUK to launch the Energy Skills Passport. The UK’s offshore energy workforce has a proud heritage and continues to have high value jobs in oil and gas, which support a broad range of skills from engineering and construction to legal and commercial expertise.
“These skills are essential for the homegrown oil and gas the UK needs for decades to come together with the expansion in energy production we’ll need in future. This passport is all about helping people working in this industry to make informed decisions about their jobs and future. As we build a homegrown low carbon future, this passport can help them succeed in projects right across our diverse energy mix.
“We now look forward to working with policymakers to help unlock and enable the business investment we need for a new generation of good, high-value jobs and opportunities for firms and their people.”
