• OPITO and ECITB to fund Skills Intelligence Hub on behalf of industry 
• A single, reliable source of current and forecast industry-wide workforce data 
• Free-to-access cloud-based platform delivering a range of graphics and reports

Energy Skills Alliance members, OPITO and ECITB have partnered to fund the development of the UK Offshore Energy Skills Intelligence Hub, which will create a complete picture of the people and skills needed in the industry between now and 2050. 

Improving skills and data intelligence was one of five goals set out in the North Sea Transition Deal Integrated People and Skill

OPITO and ECITB will work with Opergy, a leading UK energy consultancy with extensive experience in skills mapping, to develop a comprehensive resource that will capture the offshore energy industry’s people and skills requirements over the coming decades.

The UK Offshore Energy Skills Intelligence Hub will assimilate, integrate, and interpret data from a range of existing sources, and present the information on a cloud-based platform that will be free to access and provide ready-to-use reports and valuable insights. 

It will initially focus on the UK offshore energy production sectors including; oil and gas, fixed and floating offshore wind, hydrogen production and carbon capture utilisation and storage. In future, scope may extend to incorporate other industrial sectors with transferrable skills to the offshore energy sector. 

OPITO and ECITB are committed to working in partnership with trades bodies, regional clusters, and standards organisations to develop a collaborative approach that sets the direction for companies committed to investing in the creation of an agile, flexible and sustainable workforce. 

John McDonald, CEO of OPITO and Energy Skills Alliance Chair, said: 
“Identifying, training, and transitioning the workforce is one of the greatest challenges we face when we consider how we will achieve our national net zero targets. 

“We know workforce demand in the energy sector is likely to outstrip potential supply over the next decade. As the sources of our energy diversify and evolve, we must begin to gather consistent and comparable data which will allow us to make targeted interventions and anticipate future needs, based on robust data and evidence. 

“The development of the UK Offshore Energy Skills Intelligence Hub builds on great work already underway by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and RenewableUK in the offshore wind sector. We are committed to working closely with partners across industry, including trade associations, regional clusters and fellow training and standards bodies and academia, as we look to 2030 and beyond.”

Chris Claydon, ECITB Chief Executive, said: 
“As the employer-led skills body for the engineering construction industry, the ECITB is pleased to support the development of the UK Offshore Energy Skills Intelligence Hub.

“Enhancing understanding of the future supply and demand for skilled workers across the energy sector is vital to supporting our industries navigate the energy transition. 

“This work will complement the ECITB’s labour market intelligence programme, which identifies skills needs across the wider industry, including onshore energy and other process engineering sectors, all of which will play a critical role in achieving our net zero goals.”

Martin Dronfield, Director of Opergy Group Limited, said:
“The Opergy Group of companies is honoured to be working alongside the Energy Skills Alliance to develop the UK’s very first integrated view of our offshore energy sector’s current and future people and skills needs. 

“Access to clear workforce data through the Energy Skills Intelligence Hub underpins almost all of the people and skills leadership decisions we need to take to maximise the agility and adaptability of our existing workforce, whilst also attracting new entrants and young people and balancing the ethnicity, diversity, and inclusiveness of our amazing industry sectors.”

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: OPITO