Workforce protection proposals to benefit working people in local communities around coastal areas and industrial heartlands
The government has published proposals that the developers of offshore wind projects should invest in local people’s skills. Under the proposed plan, which has been devised in collaboration with businesses and unions, developers would pay into a skills fund or spend a specified amount on skills training in the communities where their projects are based.
Photo by Pramod Kumar Sharma / Unsplash
Such training would be available to existing oil and gas workers, as well as apprentices and school leavers – encouraging more people to find rewarding, skilled jobs in the offshore wind industry. The proposals suggest a range of ways to deliver such skills training: through education schemes, training facilities, new equipment or work experience and internships.
What’s more, the proposed charter encouraged developers and firms within the wider supply chain to create more high-quality, secure jobs in offshore wind, together with better access to trades unions and stronger protections over matters such as pay and terms and conditions, perhaps through a commitment to a fair worker charter.
The aim is to support the growth and stability of the offshore wind section, which by 2030 is expected to support some 10,000 jobs, many of them in coastal and rural locations. The industry estimates that a typical salary for someone working in the sector is £10,000 higher than the UK average. It’s also thought that some 90% of the UK workforce in oil and gas have skills that could be transferred into offshore renewables. The proposals would help many make that transition.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband says: ‘Britain’s clean energy future will be powered by secure, unionised jobs for local people right across the country – from East Anglia to Teesside and Aberdeen. We’re backing businesses that invest in working people in these communities, securing a route to long-term careers for oil and gas workers, apprentices and school leavers, as we deliver our Plan for Change.’
Christina McAnea, General Secretary at UNISON, adds: ‘Clean, homegrown energy is vital to Britain’s future growth and to tackling climate change. A highly skilled, fairly paid and secure clean energy workforce is essential to achieving these goals.
‘UNISON has long argued that the government needs to invest in retraining existing energy workers so their skills and experience can be transferred to clean energy jobs. Investment in apprenticeships and opportunities for young people is crucial in building the workforce of tomorrow.
‘This initiative offers a chance to boost skills across the energy sector, create and protect well-paid jobs, and support the renewal of coastal communities and industrial regions. Working together under a Fair Work Charter – unions, government and business – can deliver growth and stronger protection for workers.’
Eddie Dempsey, General Secretary at RMT, says: ‘We welcome the commitments to make trade union recognition and strong pro-worker standards a part of offshore wind contracts, covering re-training, protecting pay, and working conditions. This ensures that oil and gas workers are not being left behind.
‘Alongside the Employment Rights Bill and wider pledges to strengthen offshore workers’ rights, including for seafarers in the supply chain, the progress so far shows a plan is coming together. That will give our members confidence that their livelihoods will be protected through these turbulent times.’
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