By Helen Campbell, UK correspondent

For some reason, unlike the rest of Europe, engineering as a discipline in the UK suffers an acute lack of kudos. Consequently, the UK turns out proportionally fewer engineering, science and mathematics graduates than many other European countries.

This does not bode well for the UK’s wind sector, which has been stressing the need for suitably qualified engineers and technicians for some years now. With Round 3 just five years away, that need is now more urgent than ever. 

The BAIN report, commissioned by RenewableUK (formerly BWEA) in October 2008 identified a serious gap in skills in the UK, predominantly at the project management, electrical engineer and technician level.

Citing market estimates that reveal little or no growth in the number of engineers graduating in the UK through to 2020, the report concluded that the number of qualified entrants into the wind sector was ‘unlikely to be sufficient to support the growth demands of the industry’.

Initiatives underway

A number of initiatives are underway to try to address the projected imbalance. The first Wind & Marine Energy Skills Accord, bringing together power sector leaders, UK skills bodies and academia, was signed in October 2009, while the Renewable UK-facilitated National Renewable Energy Apprenticeship Programme (REAP) will be piloted in September 2010. Career outreach programmes have also been launched to reach potential entrants.

In the meantime, one of the most tangible pieces of evidence is the 27 metre tall turbine training tower installed at Blyth in Northumberland. The tower was conceived and supported by a partnership between Northumberland College, the New and Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) and Mainstream Renewable Power and backed by One North East Regional Development Agency.

Offering open-access, it gives turbine trainees a real ‘work at height’ experience for the first time, and hosted its first cohort of 12 twelve students soon after it opened in March 2010. 

Meanwhile, Northumberland College’s course is currently the only wind turbine technician course in the UK. Course manager, Ian Fisher, says there are over 100 prospective students on the waiting list. Expansion is difficult however, without more support in the way of funding. 

Short-staffed

The Round 3 targets are without a doubt ambitious, and industry figures are in agreement that the UK will not be able to supply the manpower needed.

“We as a sector are always struggling to find experienced people for offshore wind,” says Stephen Wilson, director of wind and marine at Narec. He explains that the growth of the sector is already outpacing the available human resources.

“Round 3 is only five years away and is so big it is going to consume everything currently available and a huge amount more. I think there is going to be a struggle [to find the people], and my big concern is that the rate of growth makes it very difficult to build the sector and do it consistently well,” he adds.

Outsourcing unavoidable

Ben Cartland, renewable energy manager at specialist recruitment agency Acre Resources, says the sector will have to increasingly recruit from abroad as the UK offshore wind sector grows.

“We [as a sector] struggle to fill the jobs we have with people who have the right skills, the right contacts and the engineering background,” Cartland says. “The shortlists we present to our clients typically include 50-60% of non-UK candidates. Siemens, Mitsubishi and others all say they want to locate manufacturing facilities here, but the question is; where are the people? They are not in the UK at the moment, that’s for sure.”

Stuart Brown, consultant at Ruston Wheb, another sustainable, renewable and clean-tech sector recruitment agency, acknowledges and advocates the role of regional development agencies. But he says an overly regional approach could backfire.

As such, there is a significant opportunity for greater collaboration between government, industry and training providers. “We are now entering a phase here the investment scale will be similar to that of the oil and gas sector in the 1970s,” Brown says. “A more joined-up and cohesive approach to skills and learning will be needed if the UK is to get any way near attaining the targets set for 2020.”

Narec’s Wilson argues that the pressures on the supply chain, on equipment and components, and skills, make the projected development curve too steep. He suggests that the solution to the UK’s wind skills challenge lies less in setting targets and more in taking a step-by-step approach.

“The rate of delivery, not targets, should be the issue, and that rate of delivery needs to steady,” stresses Wilson. “We can’t afford to have an early split in the quality of training,” he cautions.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change consultation for views from industry of ways to fill the low carbon skills gap, recently launched and closing on June 23, may be a couple of years late in coming, but at least it is a step in the right direction. 

Nevertheless, the chicken egg dilemma - how to commit to jobs now when the Round 3 consents have yet to be committed – remains to be resolved.

To respond to this article, please write to:

Helen Campbell: cblhelen@yahoo.co.uk

Or write to the Editor:

Rikki Stancich: rstancich@gmail.com