Allan takes an up-to-date look at the state of wind’s employment market and offers his personal take on how long-lasting improvements can be made.
With world focus on the well-being of the earth and its environment, a tidal wave of interest – and more importantly, investment
– is pouring into energy initiatives. Among the sources of renewable energy, wind turbines are being touted as one of the most cost- effective technologies available. They are well-established in the UK, and the market has been growing rapidly over the past few years, aided by the fact that the UK has one of the best wind resources in the world.
Despite recent market expansion, there remains a talent gap and many companies in the sector struggle to recruit the specialised talent that they seek. The question remains of what obstacles are employers facing in their recruitment efforts, and how can they overcome these hurdles, to attract and engage the industry’s best.
Why wind energy?
The benefits of wind turbines are clear:
• Sited in a good location they can produce a considerable amount of energy, bringing in significant income and having a lower payback period then other renewable technologies.
• They can generate during the day or at night unlike solar technologies.
• Production of energy is well matched with use – people tend to use more electrical energy in the winter months than in the summer months. Similarly wind turbines tend to produce more energy in the winter months than in the summer.
In 2013, wind energy reduced the UK’s need to import coal by an estimated 4.9 million tonnes and gas by 1.4 billion cubic metres, according to a study by Cambridge Econometrics. 56 per cent of the UK’s gas supplies and 79 per cent of coal were imported in 2013.
