Thousands Of New Jobs In Wind Industry But Where Will All The Workers Come From

16th January 2026

There is a real risk of a shortage of experienced workers in the UK to build all the planned new offshore and onshore wind farms, and it's already shaping industry discussions and government planning.

Current Workforce Growth - But Big Gaps Remain.

The UK wind industry has grown rapidly, with around 55,000 people employed across onshore and offshore wind as of 2025, including nearly 40,000 in offshore wind.

But this is just the starting point. To meet the government's 2030 clean power targets, industry reports project that the UK wind sector alone will need between 74,000 and 95,000 jobs in offshore wind by 2030, with more in onshore wind — taking the total wind workforce to well over 112,000 roles.

Skills Shortages in Key Roles

The challenge isn’t just numbers — it’s skills. Multiple sources highlight gaps in training and experienced personnel, particularly in:

Wind turbine technicians

High-voltage electrical engineers and technicians

Installation and cable specialists

Project engineers and senior management

Consenting, regulatory and planning professionals

These are not easily filled by general labour; they require specialised training, certification, and safety competencies — especially for offshore work where conditions are demanding and safety critical.

Competing Demand Across Sectors

The UK construction and broader energy transition workforce is strained more generally — construction industries are already facing shortages of experienced workers across engineering and technical trades, partly due to retirements and insufficient young entrants.

Additionally, there’s competition for trained professionals from related sectors such as oil and gas, marine construction, and electrification work, making recruitment more difficult.

Government Plans and Industry Responses

The government has recognised this as a national priority. Official plans to support the clean energy build-out include:

A Clean Energy Jobs Plan aiming to generate tens of thousands of new roles by 2030.

Support for training pathways, apprenticeships, and recruitment initiatives for veterans and diverse talent.

However, analysts and industry bodies warn that even with policy support, the pace of training and recruitment must accelerate significantly to match the scale of the upcoming pipeline.

What This Means in Practice

Job numbers will grow steeply — thousands of new workers needed annually.

Experienced workers are in short supply right now, not just new entrants.

Specialised skills are especially scarce, and without proactive training, filing those roles will be difficult.

Industry may need to recruit from related sectors and invest more in apprenticeships and vocational training.

There is a genuine risk of worker shortages if the UK does not significantly expand training, recruitment, and skills development. The industry and government are trying to address this, but the scale and speed of wind deployment may outpace the development of experienced workers unless action continues and accelerates.

1. Wind-Energy Job Categories Most at Risk of Shortage

The risk is not evenly spread. The biggest shortages are in experienced, safety-critical, and offshore-specific roles.

A. Offshore Wind Turbine Technicians

Risk level: Very high

These workers install, operate, and maintain turbines — often hundreds of feet above sea level.

Why the shortage exists

Long training and certification timelines (GWO, working at height, HV)

Physically demanding and safety-critical work

High turnover due to offshore conditions

Why they matter

No technicians = turbines can’t be commissioned or maintained

Bottlenecks here delay entire projects

B. High-Voltage (HV) Electrical Engineers & Cable Specialists

Risk level: Critical

This includes offshore substations, export cables, array cables, and grid connections.

Why the shortage exists

Skills overlap with nuclear, grid upgrades, EV charging, and data centres

Decades-long underinvestment in UK electrical engineering training

Experience cannot be "fast-tracked" safely

Why they matter

Grid connection delays are already one of the biggest threats to delivery

Offshore wind is becoming more electrically complex as turbines grow

C. Offshore Construction & Marine Specialists

Risk level: High

Includes:

Jack-up vessel crews

Heavy-lift crane operators

Offshore construction supervisors

Marine coordinators

Why the shortage exists

Finite global pool of experienced offshore workers

Competition from oil & gas decommissioning and offshore construction abroad

Limited UK vessel availability compounds the problem

Why they matter

Installation windows are weather-limited

Missing crews can delay projects by entire seasons

D. Project Managers & Senior Engineers

Risk level: High

These are the people who coordinate timelines, budgets, supply chains, and risk.

Why the shortage exists

UK offshore wind expanded faster than leadership pipelines

Many senior staff are close to retirement

Experience is global and highly mobile

Why they matter

Poor project management leads to cost overruns and investor risk

CfD projects rely on tight delivery schedules

E. Planning, Consenting & Environmental Specialists

Risk level: Medium-High

Includes planners, marine ecologists, and regulatory experts.

Why the shortage exists

Increasing regulatory complexity

Slow growth in public-sector planning capacity

High burnout and private-sector competition

Why they matter

Delays at this stage push projects years back

Scotland and England already face consenting backlogs

2. How the UK Can Realistically Close the Skills Gap

This is solvable — but only with coordinated action.

1. Large-Scale Reskilling from Adjacent Industries

Fastest win

Best feeder sectors:

Oil & gas (especially offshore maintenance and marine roles)

Naval and merchant marine sectors

Heavy engineering and power generation

What works

Short conversion courses (6–12 months)

Recognition of prior safety and offshore experience

Clear transition pathways, not “start from scratch” retraining

2. Expand Technical Colleges Near Wind Hubs

High impact, medium time horizon

Key regions:

East coast of England (Humber, Teesside, Norfolk)

Scotland (Aberdeen, Fife, Moray Firth)

North Wales and the Irish Sea coast

What’s needed

GWO-certified training centres

Employer-linked apprenticeships

Guaranteed job placements post-qualification

3. Accelerate Apprenticeships — With Industry Guarantees

Essential for long-term supply

Current problem:

Apprenticeships exist, but uptake is uneven

Young people lack visibility of offshore careers

What works

Employer-backed apprenticeship quotas tied to CfD awards

Paid placements offshore or on vessels

Clear salary progression to attract talent

4. Strategic Use of Skilled Migration

Necessary in the short term

The UK cannot train everyone fast enough domestically.

Best approach

Targeted visas for HV engineers, offshore supervisors, and technicians

Fast-track recognition of international certifications

Temporary migration linked to project build phases

This is already common in major offshore builds globally.

5. Retain Workers by Improving Conditions

Often overlooked

Problems today:

Long offshore rotations

Burnout and safety fatigue

Better offers overseas

Retention measures

Shorter rotations

Better mental-health support

Clear career progression onshore after offshore service

Keeping experienced workers is cheaper than replacing them.

Bottom Line

There is a real and growing risk of skilled-worker shortages slowing UK wind deployment.

The biggest bottlenecks are technicians, HV engineers, offshore construction crews, and senior project staff.

The UK can still meet its targets — but only if training, migration, and workforce planning move at the same pace as turbine deployment.