Future Employment and Skills in the UK Wind & Marine IndustriesDriven by the UK Government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions, the wind and marine energy sector has seen unprecedented growth over the past few years. The UK is at the forefront of deploying offshore wind turbines, is a global centre for small wind technology design and manufacture and leads in the research and development of marine energy. Onshore wind technology has been deployed commercially in the UK since the early 1990s and the industry currently provides the most substantial share of renewable energy to UK consumers. Working for a Green Britain reported that for April 2010 the wind and marine energy industry directly employed 10,600 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.1/i It also revealed that between 2007 and 2010 the large-scale on- and offshore wind energy sector experienced stellar growth recruiting 4,400 FTEs in just three years. The wind energy workforce near doubled to 9,200 direct FTE employees in a time of worldwide recession. With this recent rapid expansion the demand for highly skilled and often specialist technical personnel has increased. Skills gaps are already acting as a barrier to the growth of firms.
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