Skills Strategy: Progress Report
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Energy & Utility Skills Partnership 2025-2030 Skills Strategy Report
At the core of our strategy are the four Strategic Pillars: Research, Attract, Develop and Retain, each with defined actions and outcomes for what the sector needs to achieve over the next five years.
Strategic Pillar 1: Research
5 Year Actions:
| Actions | Latest Updates |
|---|---|
| Deliver workforce demand estimates across the energy and utilities sector and assess how well current candidate pipelines meet future needs at devolved levels. | Updated workforce demand estimates for each industry and the wider sector are due to be published as part of the ongoing Skills Strategy delivery programme. Separate electricity transmission and distribution workforce planning reports have been completed. The Electricity Networks Workforce Resilience Metrics report has been published to National Skills Academy for Power Transmission & Distribution members, and the Gas Networks Metrics report has been shared with the National Skills Academy for Gas Strategy Group. |
| Identify key audiences and evaluate their perceptions of industry careers. | Discussions have taken place with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who are supportive of the proposed approach. Energy & Utility Skills Group will finalise the delivery model with appropriate partners before work begins in Q4 2026. |
| Sector-wide social inclusion data will be collected and benchmarked through an enhanced Inclusion Measurement Framework. | The latest Inclusion Measurement Framework report was finalised and published in April 2026, supported by communications and media activity. The report provides sector-wide insight into workforce representation, recruitment, progression, retention and leadership diversity. |
| Develop new approach to understand workforce inflows and outflows, while resilience metrics for power, gas and water industries will be maintained. | Work has started to bring together data sources that can improve understanding of workforce inflows and outflows, including ONS datasets and existing workforce resilience metrics for electricity and gas networks. |
| Implement long-term skills ‘foresighting’ to inform future planning. | Planning is underway for water and sewerage skills foresighting activity, with outputs expected by April 2027. |
| Evaluate and publish annual updates on the progress and impact of our Skills Strategy. | Progress against the Skills Strategy 2025–2030 is being reviewed regularly, with quarterly updates published to provide transparency on delivery and impact. . |
Strategic Pillar 2: Attract
5 Year Actions:
| Actions | Latest Updates |
|---|---|
| Strengthen outreach to sector leavers, returners, retirees and under-represented groups. | Career resources have been developed and published based on the first five occupational profiles, with further resources due to be published in August 2026. |
| Create pathways for NEETs through access-to-work and devolved programmes. | Sector entry pilots have been delivered with employers, providing supported routes into employment and helping new talent gain the skills needed to join the sector safely and productively. |
| Deliver an awareness campaign to improve industry perception among target audiences | The Destination Energy website has launched as part of the DESNZ Clean Energy Jobs Plan. Four webinars have been delivered to date, covering the campaign launch, sector entrants, armed forces and school leavers. The campaign has reached more than 700,000 impressions, generated nearly 14,000 engagements, and achieved average webinar attendance of around 200. Sector attraction has also been prioritised through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Water Skills Strategic Group workstream 2 and potential ITT has completed its testing and advocacy phased, with options now being assessed. |
| Engage government and key partners to support diverse recruitment | Careers & Enterprise Company: Department for Work & Pensions: HM Prison Service: Baltic Apprenticeships/The Clancy Group: |
| Benchmark Talent Pool and recruitment data against sector and national trends | Energy & Utilities Careers & Jobs has been included in Membership for 2026/27, with nearly 30 current members using the platform to promote roles across the sector. EUSG is also reviewing jobs banding and planning targeted activity to increase platform awareness and job volumes. |
| Explore talent transfer opportunities from sectors with large workforces nearing programme completion | Offshore wind: Nuclear: ENA: |
| Create a new ‘Sector Communications and Promotion’ network group that brings together communication leads, in an effort to coordinate and amplify messages | Group now established, with most recent meeting taking place on 15th July. Terms of Reference agreed along with support of Ongoing sector and political media monitoring with Vuelio, alongside PR management. |
Strategic Pillar 3: Develop
5 Year Actions:
| Actions | Latest Updates |
|---|---|
| Pilot sector entry model to help new talent join sector safely and be productive at pace | Sector entry pilots have delivered strong early outcomes: Across the pilots, 21 citizens have gained new skills to support meaningful employment, with 18 successfully starting work, representing an 87% job start rate against a 75% KPI. |
| Define Level 1–3 qualifications essential to the sector, Growth and Skills Levy flexibility is essential | Proposals have been submitted to the Office for Clean Energy Jobs for new apprenticeship units addressing critical skills gaps and supporting clean energy workforce needs. The prioritised list has been shaped by employer feedback, with feedback awaited. |
| Apprenticeship and technical schemes continuously improved | Work has continued with Skills England, employers and stakeholders to support apprenticeship reforms, ensuring changes to delivery and assessment reflect the technical, operational and safety-critical requirements of the sector. Employers have also engaged in developing a hydrogen knowledge map to identify future technical knowledge, skills and competencies. |
| Improve industry-approved occupational standards and ensure alignment with qualifications and training. | Work has continued with Energy & Environment Awards to identify opportunities to expand regulated qualifications and industry training schemes that support competence, compliance and workforce progression. EUS has also worked with industry to review Power Industry National Occupational Standards and engaged with awarding organisations in Scotland to support accreditation of new qualifications. |
| Define full range of job roles across our industries, create consistent occupational profiles for priority roles and introduce occupational map to outline career pathways, skills and progression routes | The first phase of 30 occupational standards has been developed to define the knowledge, skills, behaviours and routes to competence for critical roles across the sector. The next phase will focus on additional roles across power transmission and distribution, alongside offshore wind occupations. Engagement is also underway with water and gas employers to identify future priority roles. |
| Develop a future leaders programme to prepare for the growth in leadership roles. | Not yet started. |
| Optimise funding: Work with governments and authorities to unlock and optimise funding mechanisms as well as policy and legislation developments that support the development of critical skills | Energy & Utility Skills Group continues to work with government departments, industry partners and employers to explore how greater flexibility in the Growth and Skills Levy could support workforce development and address critical skills needs. Employers in Wales have also been encouraged to respond to the Medr consultation on a new apprenticeship funding model. |
| Explore partnerships: Engage with external stakeholders and partners to find new ways of working together | Collaboration has continued with OEUK, RenewableUK and other partners on the Energy Skills Passport, with first phase outputs delivered for offshore wind and energy transmission occupations. Energy & Utility Skills has also contributed to the Northern Ireland Green Skills Action Plan, engaged professional bodies on occupational standards and professional recognition, worked with the Careers & Enterprise Company, and joined the Scottish Hydrogen Skills Group. |
Strategic Pillar 4: Retain
5 Year Actions:
| Actions | Latest Updates |
|---|---|
| Amplify and share best practices in attracting, retaining, and progressing inclusive talent across the sector. | Social inclusion has been incorporated into Clean Energy Jobs Plan activity and wider sector attraction work. Activity is also underway to support earlier reporting on disability and ethnicity pay, including identifying employers already reporting ahead of requirements so that best practice can be shared from September 2026. |
| Develop guidance to support inclusive job descriptions and advertisements. | Inclusive job description guidance was identified as a recommendation within the Inclusion Measurement Framework report. Plans are being developed to incorporate this into future Social Inclusion Forum activity. |
| Sector-wide talent referral programme and Candidate Care Charter will be introduced, with early reporting on disability and ethnicity pay. | Candidate Care Charter: Talent Referral Programme: |
| Engage partners to support workers with health conditions and explore new ways to retain talent through retiree engagement. | Social inclusion continues to be embedded within Clean Energy Jobs Plan and sector attraction activity. EUSG is also chairing the Social Inclusion Forum to support progress on EDI data, metrics and shared action. |
| Primary culture research will deepen understanding of what it means to work in the sector. | An approach has been agreed to explore primary culture research, either through an in-house survey shared with industry or aligned with future career perceptions research. Discussions have taken place with DESNZ, with work expected to begin in Q4 2026. |
| Workforce data will guide targeted retention actions and occupational mapping will highlight clear career progression. | Inclusion Measurement Framework findings have been considered at the Gas and Power Networks EDI Roundtable, the Water Industry Skills Group and the Energy EDI Conference in June 2026, helping inform sector discussions on retention, representation and progression. |
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