What job opportunities are available in Offshore?

The offshore energy sector is ever growing, with job opportunities predicted to increase by 50% by 2030.

Offshore wind plays a crucial role in promoting economic growth and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels to create energy, through its reliable method of using the high wind speeds at sea to transmit energy.

The Economy and People Report 2024 recognises the UK energy sector and its sustainable energy projects as the key to achieving net zero targets that will create a blueprint for the rest world.

The effective energy policy, implemented to support sustainable projects within the energy sector, has been shown to create more high-quality jobs and economic benefit to communities across the country. Over 150,000 skilled people are to be in jobs directly or indirectly supported by the energy sector, including offshore wind, growing the sector by 50%.

By working within the energy sector, you will be able to support the sustainable energy projects aiming to build a better future energy system, one that is fuelled by clean electricity. In the Offshore wind sector, there are a variety of high-quality jobs for skilled workers aiming towards promoting a sustainable future for the environment and benefits for billpayers and the industry.

What Skills and Qualifications are suited to the sector

There are various qualifications and skillsets needed to become a high-quality worker within the offshore wind sector, however all of them are achievable with the correct mindset.

At the core of every worker within offshore wind are skills including:

  • Communication skills with internal and external stakeholders
  • Organisational skills
  • Leadership and management skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Health and safety skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration skills
  • Offshore-relevant behavioural skills
  • Cultural awareness
  • High-level electrical technical and engineering skills, particularly in turbine components, high-voltage cables, and substations.

As for qualifications, what will be required will depend on what specific role or sector within offshore wind an individual is interested in and, as with any job, it pays to take time to research what is needed before deciding which path to take.

To become a wind turbine technician – one of the most popular career paths in offshore wind – for example, taking a mechanical, electronic or electrical engineering course would be an excellent source of education and experience. Many of these courses offer NC, NQ, HNC or HND accreditation in a related engineering field too.

What will the future look like

As additional projects enter the pipeline over the coming years the demand for skilled workers to seek careers within the energy sector will grow. Therefore, the demand for high quality skillsets and qualifications will remain, with a continued demand for degree level qualifications and a growth in demand for technician level skills.

Government plans for a shift to offshore wind energy, chasing the UK’s 2050 Net Zero targets, suggest that up to 90,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created. What’s more, several pledges have been made to drive and support the education required to create talent to fill such a significant number of roles, including a pledge to support Institutes of Technology across England with £120 million for institutes specialising in delivering high technical education and developing green skills.