EI said that areas considered potentially important to the UK’s energy future are also thought by its members as being those likely to experience the highest shortage of skills over the next five years, as they are “thought to be the most vulnerable to investment risk.”
The institute has published a report based on its members’ views which identifies low carbon sectors including new nuclear power, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and unconventional oil and gas production as among those with the “greatest current perceived shortages.”
Nuclear power and CCS have the highest perceived skills shortages of 308 and 227 workers by 2020 respectively, according to EI members polled.
Only electricity generation from fossil fuels bucks the industry wide trend with members expecting a shortage of only 43 workers in 2020, although this is an increase from just 16 in 2015.
EI said the “resounding message” from its members is that there are “shortfalls of qualified workers across most parts of the energy industry.”
EI said: “This boom in job opportunities is attributed not only to growth and innovation in many sectors, but also the impending retirement of many senior professionals. EI members stress the importance of retaining the knowledge of these professionals and putting systems in place to successfully transfer it to new entrants.”
The institute said messages describing the advantages of working across the energy industry will “play a big role in attracting and retaining new entrants”. Its members also “strongly preferred” mentoring and graduate programmes for retaining professional knowledge, with dedicated roles and structured communities or networks seen as effective strategies.
EI said: “Importantly, several members stress that the communication of best practises should not be seen as anti-competitive, and new channels and collaborations between organisations may help to advance the industry as a whole.”
Earlier this month major utility companies such as British Gas, Eon and SSE collaborated to form the Talent Source Network which aims to tackle the skills shortage by training new entrants and retaining experienced talent.