The first stage of a new website that will help workers move between different parts of the UK energy sector has been launched by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK, supported by the UK and Scottish Governments.
The Energy Skills Passport website enables workers to easily identify which qualifications, such as technical and safety standards, are needed for specific roles in oil and gas and offshore wind, as well as mapping out potential future career pathways within the energy sector. Research commissioned by OEUK shows that 90% per cent of oil and gas workers have skills which can also be applied to renewable energy.
The initial version of the website will be tested by a group of workers so that they can provide feedback before the full version becomes available later this year. Users will be able to create personal accounts listing their qualifications, and then select from offshore wind roles, such as turbine maintenance technician. The tool will provide details of the training needed to fulfil the roles.
The next phase will see more roles added to encompass the wide range of jobs available across the energy industry.
RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Offshore Wind Jane Cooper said: “More than a hundred thousand people will be working in the UK’s offshore wind industry by 2030, mostly in highly skilled roles. To grow our world-class industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that oil and gas workers can bring . The Energy Skills Passport which we’re launching today with our OEUK colleagues offers a gateway for people to make this transition by helping them to identify which offshore wind roles which would suit them best, and setting out in detail the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities”.
Seer the passport website here