Employment in UK’s wind industry grows by 74% in three years

Across the industry, up to 30% of people work in construction and installation, 25% in planning and development, 18% in support services, 16% in operations and maintenance and 10% in manufacturing.

According to a draft report, published by RenewableUK, the number of indirect jobs has also increased, with 15,908 now supported by the wind and marine industry, up from 10,555 in 2010.

More employees are working in companies who might not be principally identified as renewable energy companies but are supporting the industry as a result of a greater degree of interdependency and specialisation in parts of the economy.

However, the report warns that to continue to develop jobs in significant numbers, the Government, along with industry, will need to ensure substantial levels of deployment.

RenewableUK chief executive Maria McCaffery said: “Ambition and investment in our technologies will see an increasing percentage of our electricity needs coming from wind, wave and tidal sites. This will translate not only to the powering of millions more homes, but also to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

“To achieve this new greener economy, Government and industry must work together. Government has a role to play in policy development, in ensuring that a long-term vision for the wind, wave and tidal sectors is clearly set out so that business has the confidence to invest in hiring and training the next generation of workers,” added McCaffery.

Leigh Stringer