Future Skills 2009

You have in your hands the first supplement produced by the Energy Institute (EI) with a focus solely on education, training, employment and skills in the energy industry, and the people behind them.

Unfortunately, many discussions of skills in the energy industry are accompanied by talk of skill shortages. We have included discussion of shortages too, but have preferred mainly to look beyond the problem – towards its various solutions. The EI is a major provider of training, accreditation and continuing professional development, after all.

These investment-constrained times are having their effect on the energy industry and its people, of course, so picking out trends in employment and skills from the economic malaise is difficult. But we can see a couple more problems -– the age profile of some of the more traditional parts of the of the energy industry suggests that many employees are soon set to retire (see page 10), and this is coupled with a falling number of students following science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) based subjects – prerequisites for an energy career – at school and university (see page 12).

So what are the solutions? Government undoubtedly has a part to play, and over the short term the energy industry may benefit from increased government investment in low carbon technologies from packages to aid economic recovery (see page 6). And Government-sponsored sector skills councils are already playing their role – turn to page 8 for a view from those SSCs that focus on the energy industry.

And longer-term measures? At a fundamental level, the STEM issue needs addressing. On page 12 we have a view from Shell on the work it is doing to inspire the younger generation about energy. The EI also does a great deal of work in this area through its energy education website Energyzone, and has now teamed up with the STEM Ambassadors programme to give EI members the chance to enthuse schoolchildren about energy (see page 11).

The EI also puts a strong emphasis on continuing professional development to improve the skills and competencies of those already in the industry (see pages 5 and 10). Elsewhere, and particularly relevant in today’s economic conditions, James Smith FEI shows the real value that professional skills and recognition has in terms of jobs prospects and remuneration – see page 2.

And, more positives, the results of a recent survey show that people in the industry generally regard energy as a rewarding and fulfilling area to work in. A fundamental drive to getting more young people interested in this hugely wideranging and vital industry would see them enjoying these rewards whilst also making a positive contribution to society.