‘Energy sector upskilling crisis jeopardising UK’s net zero goals’

Nearly half of energy sector workers doubt the readiness of businesses in the sector to meet the target for decarbonising energy production, new survey shows

Big Zero Report 2023

A recent report has raised alarm bells about the readiness of businesses in the UK energy sector to meet the government‘s ambitious target of decarbonising energy production by 2035.

The study, conducted by City & Guilds and not-for-profit organisation Engineering UK, surveyed 1,000 energy sector workers, shedding light on their perspectives and concerns.

The findings indicate that almost 42% of energy sector workers believe that businesses in the sector are adequately prepared to meet the decarbonisation target.

Furthermore, the report highlights a disparity between high carbon energy industries, such as oil and gas and low carbon industries like wind, solar and nuclear.

A staggering 60% of employees in high carbon sectors fear that the transition to decarbonise the power system will put their jobs at risk by 2025.

The study also revealed that the energy jobs market is already experiencing significant shifts.

Demand for low carbon workers is surging, with a remarkable 1114% increase in job postings for renewable energy managers between 2019 and 2022.

Job postings for oil and gas analysts have declined by 43.4% during the same period.

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