With the East of England playing a critical role in the UK’s drive towards net zero, how is the region’s energy workforce shaping up for the next 25 years?<\/p>\n
We hear about the opportunities and challenges facing the sector as it looks ahead to 2050.<\/p>\n
The skills gap<\/p>\n
Wayne Stannett revived the former EAGIT into REAGIT, which is working with Swarm Training to radically change the delivery of manufacturing, maintenance, welding and fabrication training to enable work-ready apprentices to join businesses as a \u201cuseful resource\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe skills gap is not someone else\u2019s problem \u2013 it is all of our issue and together is the only way that we can make the changes needed,\u201d said Wayne. \u201cThere needs to be support from government to ensure that apprenticeships and vocational pathways are given the kudos that they deserve \u2013 especially within the school systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the ONS, less than 35% of the roles identified within the skills gap require a level six degree or above qualification \u2013 meaning that the remainder can and will be filled by the further education and post-16 colleges, sixth forms and independent training providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we as a nation do not get a grip on the skills gap, we truly face an uncertain future that \u2013 at its very worst \u2013 could see businesses being forced to relocate out of the country to where skilled workforces are ready, waiting and prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wayne Stannett, owner of REAGIT (Image: REAGIT)<\/p>\n
To be fit for purpose in 2050, Wayne believes the education and training landscape needs to focus on a three-tiered, post-16 model.<\/p>\n
Those destined for university would follow the A Level route via sixth forms and university technical colleges; those looking to understand their \u2018chosen\u2019 career path follow the general education pathway through further education colleges; and those dedicated to their choice of trades or vocationally focused careers follow a technical route through an apprenticeship delivered by dedicated independent training providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe need for training over the next 25 years is going to grow exponentially based on trends emerging within the energy sector,\u201d said Wayne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe energy sector needs a consolidated effort to meet this demand, a joining of forces to include education providers of all types and employers of all sizes, and better education provided to parents of the next generation to ensure that the true extent of the opportunities is realised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cultural change in health and wellbeing<\/p>\n
Gorleston-based doctor Amy Kingston, who owns Tide Medical, said employers must unite in recognising that poor mental health and wellbeing concerns in the workplace should be a basic requirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cSooner rather than later, we need to see a culture change. What I see as a fundamental need in 2026 is often still viewed as an \u2018add on\u2019 or a tick box. This shouldn\u2019t be the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the industry develops and grows, so will the pressure on individuals, the rate of absenteeism and the costs to a business in time and money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Amy Kingston, owner of Tide Medical (Image: Tide Medical)<\/p>\n
Colleague Lee Duguay, who is a solution focused therapist, agrees: \u201cWhen wellbeing is approached as part of everyday organisational culture, rather than only something to deal with in a crisis, it creates a healthier environment for staff and a stronger, more sustainable organisation overall.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Tide Medical, Amy has developed a year-long mental health cultural change programme designed to move organisations beyond reactive crisis management, working with senior leadership and frontline teams to identify key wellbeing pressures, embed sustainable cultural adjustments within existing business structures and deliver advanced mental health training where it has real impact.<\/p>\n
The result is not simply legal compliance, but measurable organisational resilience, said Amy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s vital to foster a supportive environment where employees feel valued, heard and able to balance their workload,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Lee Duguay, solution focused therapist at Tide Medical (Image: Tide Medical)<\/p>\n
Creating an inclusive environment<\/p>\n
With an increased workforce comes the need for culture change on workplace inclusion.<\/p>\n
Caroline Burgess, enablement manager at EDF, would like to see a 2050 workforce as an inclusive environment with no need to talk about equality and diversity.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we will be over the issues with female presence in the workplace and be moving onto neurodiversity in the coming years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to see us put as much focus on other inclusivity areas as we now do on gender diversity. To be truly diverse, we need to create an inclusive environment, and that is what I would like to see us focusing on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline said EDF\u2019s leadership cohort shows there are more females coming through. And while there\u2019s still more to do, she highlighted that if too much emphasis is put on this, it almost starts to become a disadvantage.<\/p>\n
Caroline Burgess, enablement manager for EDF at Sizewell B (Image: EDF)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard \u2018well, she only got that because she was a woman\u2019. I am sure in the past there was a lot of times being a woman counted against her getting the job. It is about the best person for the job and how do we make those jobs appealing to all areas and all genders?\u201d<\/p>\n
Role modelling and demonstrating the variety of careers in an engineering environment shows the opportunities to potential industry new entrants.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have worked in engineering all my life and never picked up a spanner, so how do we demonstrate and showcase all the careers you can have in the energy industry that don\u2019t involve picking up a spanner?,\u201d said Caroline.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy favourite phrase I like to refer to came from a very inspirational female manager I had many years ago. In this changing world, to showcase the strength and versatility women have, I always say, \u2018in a world full of lions, be a lioness\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n