Securing the workforce for a sustainable energy transition

Rather than a force to be reckoned with, the current labour force available to enable Europe’s energy transition is dwindling and is a leading cause for concern for industry professionals.

This was one of the key findings of an industry report released by Enlit entitled, Making it work: Tackling the energy transition workforce challenge.

The report, based on the findings of an industry survey and think tank conducted at Enlit Europe, shows that a fast-paced workforce transition is taking place, causing an increased need for labour and a simultaneous (and concerning) decreasing labour pool from which to draw.

“At the end of day, without people there are no companies, there is no innovation. Corporations can’t survive without new entrants into the workforce. The industry must attract and retain this talent,” said Bedar Islam, Business Development Manager – Low Carbon Hydrogen, Syngas, Fuels, Johnson Matthey.

Solving the recruitment riddle

The labour force in Europe is ageing and continues to be male-dominated, highlights the report, and because the energy industry is not recruiting at the pace and scale needed, the energy transition and European competitiveness are at risk.

But why is it so challenging to recruit?

While a lack of diversity and inferior salaries compared to other sectors rate high on the list of challenges, Enlit highlights that almost 55% of survey respondents believe the leading cause of recruitment challenges is losing candidates to competitors.

To mitigate these risks and ensure Europe has the required labour force, the report makes several recommendations.

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Make recruitment a strategic priority

The report emphasises the need to put this topic on the boardroom agenda, ensuring it’s considered a strategic priority rather than an HR afterthought.

Legacy recruitment strategies need to be replaced with diverse and holistic strategies and linked to corporate and industry-wide programmes to attract staff.

These strategies must be backed by up-to-date data which should be mined for insights into recruitment and retention performance and used to make the improvements needed.

Adriana Villalobos, an HR expert in energy and former Global Human Resources Business Partner at Siemens Energy, commented: “Digital enables access to information we didn’t have before. We should analyse recruitment data – who we are attracting and where they are from. By analysing the recruitment process we might see just how blinkered recruitment processes are.”

Adopt an industry wide approach to engagement

Respondents urged the industry to consider forming partnerships and coordinate an approach to engagement. This will “create deeper, broader and more consistent engagement with schools, policymakers and the media,” states the report.

Ultimately, the sector needs to do a better job of marketing itself and generating awareness about career opportunities and their accompanying benefits.

72% of respondents believe improved communication about opportunities in the sector will improve the workforce issue, a sentiment echoed by Jeff Benoit, Vice President – Global Clean Energy Solutions, PSM – a Hanwha Company.

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Said Benoit: “We’re skipping along on the surface and not discussing the exciting career opportunities of the transition. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate and completely transform the energy landscape, but when it comes to this message, all we do is make a noise about the type of folks we want to recruit. Candidates don’t see the excitement of long-term impactful career opportunities. That’s the issue we have. We’re not clearly articulating the tremendous opportunity.”

Tackle underrepresentation

It’s no surprise that the energy sector continues to be male-dominated, and the report highlights that correcting this gender imbalance needs to be a priority.

The course correction needs to start in primary and secondary education, ensuring girls are encouraged into STEM subjects. Universities also need to up their game in terms of attracting women, with the report highlighting that in 2021 women accounted for only 32.8% of graduates in STEM.

The report stresses the need to tackle underrepresentation by tapping new talent pools, focusing on women and first generation migrants. Also a change in recruitment mindset is required. The industry is notorious for fishing in the same pond, and urgently needs a new perspective that recognises the value brought by diversity.

Inspire the next generation

Enlit’s report stressed the need to find out what motivates young people to join the energy sector and then to begin engaging with learners from a young age around those motivating factors.

It’s important to create awareness of the career opportunities that exist as well as stimulate enthusiasm for STEM related career opportunities. Furthermore, it’s important to demonstrate that the energy sector is a place where a career can make a positive difference.

Added Villalobos: “There are few opportunities that have the same purpose as the energy transition. Younger generations want this sense of purpose.”

Creating employment networks for the younger generation and offering internships can also go a long way to encouraging interest from the younger generation, states the report.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Adriana Villalobos Mendez, an HR expert in energy and former Global Human Resources Business Partner at Siemens Energy talks about the value of people power for the energy transition and how to unlock it in a way that benefits the individual, team and business.

Originally published on enlit.world