55 000 people now work in the UK wind industry, shows new report

The Wind Industry Skills Intelligence Report 2025 also revealed that the number of people working in onshore wind in the UK now stands at just over 15 000. This brings the UK’s total current wind industry workforce to over 55 000.

The report projects future job numbers by examining three potential deployment scenarios for offshore wind in 2030, with installed capacities of 39 GW, 47 GW, and 52 GW. It also includes a scenario for onshore wind of 27 GW by 2030, in line with government targets to reach clean power within the next five years. These projections show that between 74 000 – 95 000 people will be needed to support the accelerated deployment of offshore wind by the end of the decade, while the number of jobs in onshore wind will rise to over 17 500. This means the total UK wind workforce could reach over 112 000 by 2030. The highest numbers of new jobs are expected to be created in Scotland, the east of England and in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The report contains a number of recommendations to ensure that these new roles can be filled by people with the right qualifications, including the development of a national workforce strategy. This should include the creation of regional training hubs in coastal communities around the UK, with a focus on training and up-skilling, including fast track approaches for new entrants and those from other sectors in the skills and roles most needed by the industry. A central workforce data observatory should be established to monitor labour supply, demand and skills gaps. Industry should work with education providers to offer apprenticeships and internship programmes.

The study identifies specific jobs roles where skills shortages need to be addressed to meet the demand for workers, such as high voltage cable specialist, wind turbine technician, environmental adviser, installation engineer, planning officer, and technical manager. It highlights opportunities for workers in other parts of the energy sector with relevant experience such as oil and gas, or former military personnel, to retrain for these roles in renewables. The study also calls for further efforts to align STEM education (science, technology, engineering and maths) at secondary school and university levels more closely with the needs of the wind industry, with specialised modules being taught to students.

The report states that the number of women working across the wind industry has continued to rise year on year since 2022 to reach 22% – the offshore wind industry has a target of 33% by 2030. The average age of people working in the industry is under 40, whereas in comparable sectors such as transport, workers are typically in their mid to late-40s, reflecting the fact that younger people are choosing careers in renewables.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive, Jane Cooper, said: “This report shows that the number of people working in high quality well-paid jobs in the wind industry onshore and offshore is set to grow even higher over the next five years, well beyond the 55 000 employed today. But it also identifies a looming skills gap which we have to address by recruiting and training enough workers to take on a wide variety of new roles in renewables though technical apprenticeships and graduate training programmes.

“Industry and government both have roles to play in ensuring that we enable experienced workers from other sectors with transferable skills to retrain so that they have a clear career pathway into renewables. We also need to foster young talent and inspire the next generation of engineers, designers, technicians and project managers to build the clean energy system of the future.”

Energy Minister, Michael Shanks, added: “This report highlights exactly how the clean energy transition is the economic opportunity of the 21^st Century.

“Delivering the Plan for Change means winning the race for the clean energy jobs of the future, which will drive growth and help us reach clean power by 2030.

“That is why this government is doubling down on our clean energy superpower mission – driving economic growth, good jobs and investment across the country.”

The Industry Co-Chair of OWIC, Richard Sandford, commented: “To help achieve both the government’s ambitions for economic growth and clean power, the focus must be on sectors with a clear opportunity to secure new jobs and investment. The offshore wind industry is a fantastic opportunity for the UK – not just to build crucial clean energy projects and create new supply chains, but to export our products and expertise worldwide as we are a recognised global leader in this technology. Crucially, this report contains key recommendations to attract the tens of thousands of new workers of all ages and from all backgrounds we need to maximise our success in the years ahead.”

OWIC's Skills Sponsor, Zoe Keeton, RWE's Head of Stakeholders and Local Markets UK and Ireland, concluded: “This report shows what a catalyst the wind sector can be for high quality jobs – typically paying £10 000 a year more than the UK average salary – in coastal and rural communities right across the country. Our analysis shows that two regions in Scotland, Aberdeen, and the North East followed by the Highlands and Islands, are expected to require the highest number of workers with the East of England and Yorkshire and the Humber closely behind. Crucially our sector offers opportunities now and well into the future both for young people leaving school, college and university, as well as career switchers looking for a rewarding career in renewable energy.”

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

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