Navigating the Talent Gap: Overcoming Challenges in the Offshore Renewables Sector
Navigating the Talent Gap: Overcoming Challenges in the Offshore Renewables Sector
Finding skilled individuals within the offshore renewable sector poses a significant challenge for Hydrofix and the industry as a whole. There are several reasons contributing to this scarcity of talent:
- Industry Growth and Competition: The rapid expansion of the offshore renewable sector has resulted in increased demand for skilled professionals. As more projects are being developed worldwide, competition for qualified individuals has intensified, making it challenging to attract and retain top talent.
- Specialised Skill Sets: The offshore renewable sector requires a unique set of skills and expertise, including knowledge of geoscience on various levels, engineering, surveying, project management, environmental, regulatory compliance. Finding individuals with a combination of these skills can be a complex task and as a consultancy that becomes more refined due to the requirements from the client.
- Limited Workforce Development: The offshore renewable industry is relatively young compared to traditional sectors, such as fossil fuels. Consequently, there may be a limited pool of experienced professionals with a background in offshore renewables. The industry's rapid growth has outpaced the development of specialised educational programs, creating a gap between the demand and supply of skilled professionals. Of course, there has been an overflow from Oil & Gas professionals but we’re still a long way off from meeting the demand that the renewables sector desperately requires.
- Technological Advancements: The offshore renewable sector is continuously evolving, driven by technological advancements and innovations. This fast-paced nature of the industry requires individuals who are adaptable, open to learning, and capable of keeping up with emerging trends and technologies.
- Project Complexity and Scale: Offshore renewable projects are often complex and large-scale endeavours, involving multiple stakeholders, regulatory requirements, and technical considerations. The need for individuals with project management skills, interdisciplinary collaboration abilities, and a deep understanding of the sector's intricacies adds another layer of complexity to talent acquisition. No job is the same and every project has its challenges to manage.
- Pay reduction: Offshore workers generally earn a higher net income than those who are land based. This has been a traditional trend since the early days of offshore Oil & Gas. Offshore workers often spend several weeks away, working 12-hour shifts, 7 days a week. Those individuals become accustomed to the income and rotations. To move into a consultancy position for an offshore worker, adjusting to the working week, not having 4 weeks off every other month and approaching the industry in a whole different way requires a certain individual, someone who is driven to learn more about project delivery and also wants a different quality of life, perhaps to be with their family more regularly.
Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures, such as investing in workforce development programs throughout project delivery, collaborating with educational institutions, and fostering knowledge-sharing platforms within the industry. Hydrofix recognises the importance of talent development and remains committed to attracting, nurturing, and retaining skilled professionals to overcome these challenges and deliver exceptional services to clients in the offshore renewable sector.
Russell Venning - Director
Are you looking for a new challenge, a role where you’re able to develop your skill set and feel you have the right skills to be a consultant? If so, we would love to hear from you. Please send your CV and confirmation of right to work in the UK to careers@hydrofix.co.uk.
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