Engineering Talent for the Renewable Energy Sector

With the government announcing investment in renewable energy infrastructure, the demand for skills for future energy industries in the south west looks set to grow.

The South West Talent Retention Scheme – www.talentsouthwest.org.uk – is extending its scope to include all companies within the growing renewable energy sector. The online resource, which matches engineers and technicians looking for work with advanced engineering companies that are recruiting, currently targets the aerospace, defence, automotive, marine, machining, medical and manufacturing industries. Now, in acknowledgment of the importance of the future energy industry to the region, the scheme is being expanded to include companies involved in off- shore wind, wave, tidal, solar, biomass, micro-generation and nuclear power production. The project, which is supported in the region by West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) and EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is a key element in ensuring that engineering and technician skills that might otherwise be lost are retained in the region. All services are provided free-of-charge. The South West’s renewable energy sector currently accounts for more than 300 businesses and organisations, employing more than 2,900 people and contributing an estimated £215 million to the economy annually. Employment in this sector has grown at 37% per annum over the last three years and around nine in 10 of the region's companies in the sector expect to see further increases in demand for their services over the next few years, driven in part by a regional renewable electricity target of 20% by 2020. “The South West is vital to the UK’s energy strategy and is the UK’s first Low Carbon Economic Area,” says Malcolm Pemble, Operations Manager for EEF in the South West. “We want to ensure that individuals whose skills are transferrable to the growing future energy sector are included in the Talent Retention Scheme, so that we can build a pipeline of skilled people to support these companies now and in the future.” The South West was the first region in the UK to set up a dedicated sustainable energy agency, Regen SW, and the pioneering Wave Hub project was ‘plugged in’ to the national grid in September. The Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) together with The Plymouth Science and Innovation Centre continue to support enterprise in marine renewables, engineering and marine sciences. Barry Warburton, Chief Executive of WEAF, comments: “It is vital to the region’s future economic prospects that the south west retains the engineering and technician skills needed by well established advanced engineering sectors and by industries identified for rapid growth in the future. The Talent Retention Scheme has a vital role to play in making this happen, because a highly skilled workforce is a key ingredient in attracting additional investment.” Companies and individuals can register for the Talent Retention Scheme by going to www.talentsouthwest.org.uk or by calling 01275 878231. All services are provided free of charge. Ends Media enquiries to: Philip Colley, Harvest Tel: 023 9244 9655/ 07785 306378 NOTE TO EDITORS EEF EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK together with ECIA, the Engineering Construction Industry Association and UK Steel. The EEF has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries. www.eef.org.uk West of England Aerospace Forum The West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) is a membership trade association that champions and supports the interests of the aerospace, defence and advanced engineering sectors in the South West of England. The forum leads the sector in delivering national supply chain initiatives, which connect the SME community to the Primes. It aims to facilitate an environment where companies can improve their competitiveness and grow the industry. Its latest project to support the sector is the introduction of an Aerospace and Advanced Engineering iNet. This is one of five iNets which are Innovation and technology focused, designed to deliver £13m of support and advice to small businesses in five of the region’s high growth potential sectors over the next three years. WEAF supports other national initiatives in the supply chain, networking and training events, actively encourages skills development and leads key Steering Groups within the industry. It also collaborates with partners like UKTI to provide critical support services such as export and marketing opportunities at major international trade exhibitions, like Farnborough and Paris. It utilises a Capabilities Database to promote WEAF members online using detailed and structured information on competency. www.weaf.co.uk

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