Wafa Jafri
Partner, Energy Deal Advisory and Head of Energy and Natural Resources Strategy, KPMG
Tom Clifton
Director, Government and Infrastructure, KPMG
The UK energy sector is expanding, driven by heavy investments in network infrastructure and renewable technologies like offshore wind, green hydrogen and carbon capture.
With an estimated £300 billion earmarked for clean energy by 2030, this growth is essential for achieving the UK’s ambitious sustainability goals. However, there’s a significant hurdle: a severe skills shortage that threatens to derail progress.
The future-focused energy challenge
The demand for skilled workers is skyrocketing, particularly in emerging fields such as hydrogen, carbon capture and AI-driven digital systems. These areas require specialised capabilities that are in short supply globally. The situation is critical in sectors like offshore wind and grid infrastructure, where the workforce is needed to install and maintain systems. As experienced workers retire from traditional energy sectors, the need for upskilling younger generations becomes urgent.
To ensure long-term success, the UK
must cultivate homegrown talent.
Holistic sector workforce planning
To tackle these challenges, a holistic and coordinated approach to workforce planning is essential. Historically, the UK’s energy sectors have operated in silos, treating each technology and network — wind, hydrogen, solar, transmission — as separate entities. This fragmented approach must change.
Bringing together stakeholders from across the sector to collaborate on common issues, including skills gaps, is key to meeting future demands. This will require new strategies, mechanisms to reduce friction and more efficient ways of working together.
Bringing in overseas workers may be a solution for the short term, but the UK will be competing globally for this talent. To ensure long-term success, the UK must cultivate homegrown talent. This means promoting energy sector careers to young people, particularly through apprenticeships, vocational training and STEM education. Integrating energy careers into schools and developing training pathways will help to create a sustainable pipeline of workers.
Public-private partnerships
Roles like grid infrastructure specialists, power systems engineers and heat pump installers are expected to see massive growth in the coming years. However, without enough qualified professionals, the UK risks missing its targets. Strategic partnerships, such as those seen in offshore wind, where industry collaborations have addressed skills shortages, are crucial for closing the gap. Public-private partnerships will also play a pivotal role in ensuring the country’s renewable energy goals are met.
The right mix of skills
Ultimately, overcoming the skills shortage will require a mindset shift. Energy companies must work with educational institutions to develop tailored programmes and make clean energy careers more attractive to diverse groups, especially women, who are underrepresented in sectors like offshore wind. With a focus on training, innovation and strategic collaboration, the UK’s energy sector can meet its green targets and lead the way in sustainable energy production.
