The success of the government’s vision for a clean energy future hinges on its ability to address the growing skills gap, according to engineering consultancy Egis in the UK.
This follows the news that ‘shovel-ready’ wind and solar farms will be prioritised for grid connections, a move that replaces the longstanding first-come, first-served approach, which has led to unviable schemes holding up clean energy projects ready to plug in.
Egis has welcomed this decision, recognising it as a crucial step in unlocking the nation’s renewable energy process and accelerating towards net zero.
Yet, the business has warned that, for communities across Britain to ‘benefit from good jobs and investment in the clean energy economy’, the industry needs to see the short- to medium-term government initiatives that will be taken to close the estimated shortfall of 200,000 workers.
As a recent investor in the sector through various acquisitions, Egis has similarly committed to supporting the rapid deployment of resilient and sustainable infrastructure that will power the energy transition.
“We applaud the government’s commitment to accelerating clean energy development,” said Joanne Moran, Director for Water, Environment, Energy Transition and Nuclear at Egis UK & Ireland. “But the success of this vision depends on more than just expediency and infrastructure – it requires people.
“While businesses like Egis are adopting various initiatives to attract and retain talent, such as apprenticeships and graduate programmes, we need a national roadmap to develop the specialist skills required to drive this transition forward.”
Egis believes that a coordinated approach will attract further private investment into the sector, helping the government meet its goal of almost fully powering the country with clean electricity by 2030.
Joanne continued, “Clear directives from the government will not only help bridge the skills gap, but they will also signal that the UK is serious about delivering on its clean energy ambitions. This kind of certainty is essential to unlocking the scale of private investment required to do so.
“When that happens, it’s not just the investors who win – communities will benefit from more jobs, better infrastructure and long-term economic growth.”
