Are we running out of Energy in our search for talent?

The future of Energy is a massive and often confusing place – full of hearsay, opinion, fact and statistics that will pretty much back up every argument from the viability of wind farms to the dangers of fracking. What we do know as an industry, a country and a planet is that we have big challenges ahead – with one of the largest concerns being how we build the workforce of tomorrow. 

So, what’s the problem – we just get training right? Some will cite our sheer lack of understanding and vision with technology and IT in the 70’s. There were many who were sceptical about Bill Gates’ assertion of ‘One PC in every home’ – there were others who did not believe ‘The Internet’ would catch on! However, those with the vision and belief can now be used as case studies for how by integrating this into the lives of our children it has flourished and become fundamental to our existence.

Of course these lessons are great with hindsight – technology has permeated through every pore of our lives from the consoles we play on to the phones we communicate with. An all round success story then? So will this be the same story for The Future of Energy, and will we have the vision to skill the workforce of tomorrow for the jobs that don’t yet exist? 

There are still a range of economic arguments and debates over the range of renewables on offer. In fact whilst the price of oil continues to fluctuate – the viability of many ‘green’ technologies is still in question – with some companies going out of business unable to play the waiting game.

So, if the long-term picture still isn’t clear - what is the short-term answer? With Waste to Energy gathering significant investment and also seen as a practical solution to two environmental issues – the topic of cross skilling or lateral learning has been gathering pace.

Cross skilling was born of the need to grow talent from within and managing the fluid nature of the business. By enabling individuals within businesses to learn beyond the boundaries of their job – allows for a more agile response to attrition and growth.

Lateral learning is also a popular concept – with many businesses looking at what lateral skills a potential employee could bring from a similar or complimentary industry and providing the on-the-job training to tailor this to their own workplace environment.

Naturally, there is no replacement for training and skills from the ground up. Apprenticeships and graduate programmes still provide the most rewarding of results – both from a practical skills viewpoint but also from an embedded culture perspective. Those who gain their core skills in an organisation and grow with that company are 67% more likely to stay – and certainly more likely to become fans or advocates of the brand.

Retention is also an overlooked aspect of the recruitment mix. With skills shortages driving the need to look at alternatives, – sometimes looking closer to home can offer the solutions you need. Keeping your best and brightest engaged and involved can sometimes seem like an uphill challenge. An investment in training and focus on creating a positive and engaging culture go some way to enabling a motivated and established workforce as does a strong sense of belief in the business and its contribution to the world.

So, perhaps what is even more key, in a global sense, is the engagement and enthusiasm across the general populous. From our young children – who will provide the bedrock of our future energy workforce, to the attitudes and knowledge of you and I in embracing what comes next. What is certain is that change will come, and the more prepared the easier it will be.

To find out more about the future of Energy talent please contact Kelly Laine on 01628 857343 or 
kelly.laine@bps-world.com.