The renewables talent crunch: From first steps to long-term careers

By Maria Irvin, Chief People and Culture Officer

The global race to deliver clean energy is accelerating but the workforce needed to build it is struggling to keep pace. Demand for skills in renewables is rising far faster than supply. In Europe, the wind sector alone projects that over 600,000 jobs are required to power the continent’s clean power transition by 2030 while globally, labour demand could jump from 12.5 million power sector workers in 2021 to 47 million by 2030. If that need isn’t met, the world could face a shortfall of up to six million workers, threatening progress towards 2030 climate goals.

The gap is most acute in hands-on, technical roles that don’t require a university degree but are vital to getting projects built and kept running. Many of the skills needed already exist in adjacent sectors such as in the extractive (oil, gas and mining), construction and military industries but in advanced economies, for every new worker under 25 entering the energy sector, 2.4 workers are nearing retirement, highlighting the ever-shrinking pool.

This is now one of the biggest constraints on renewables growth.

A recent IEA report addresses the fundamental issue. To stop the skills shortage from getting worse by 2030, the world needs 40% more newly qualified workers entering the energy sector at the same time.

The transition’s success depends on how effectively the industry can reskill, recruit and retain people, offering decent pay, opportunity and a clear path into clean energy careers.

Practical solutions for a growing gap

One pragmatic way to accelerate this workforce shift is through frameworks that recognise transferable skills. These tools help skilled workers from adjacent industries transition into renewables more smoothly, supporting mobility between roles, companies and even geographies in the future.

The Energy Skills Passport, launched in January 2025 by OEUK and RenewableUK, provides a UK example of how such frameworks can work. It helps oil and gas workers understand how their experience maps into offshore wind and other energy-sector roles in the UK. While currently focused in the UK, the concept could inspire similar frameworks elsewhere, supporting the global clean energy workforce transition.

But addressing the talent crunch will take more than new frameworks. The industry also needs to rethink how it attracts and retains people – widening talent pipelines, clarifying career routes and reshaping perceptions of what a clean energy career looks like. Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing will all be decisive in how successfully the sector competes for talent.

Building skills and culture at RES

At RES, we see the skills challenge as an opportunity to invest in people for life. Our global initiatives span apprenticeships, professional accreditation, further education and secondments, helping employees build capabilities that grow with their careers. These efforts have earned platinum and gold certifications recognising people-centric initiatives – but the true value lies in the opportunities we create every day.

To address the growing skills shortage across the wind and solar sectors, RES is investing in scalable training infrastructure and globally recognised standards. We operate a GWO-certified training centre in Spain and are expanding our capacity with a new facility in Mexico to support increasing demand.

Through RES Services University, our global training and competence framework, we are supporting training and competence development across 20+ countries, ensuring consistent capability and scalable workforce readiness across our services business.

Safety and competence are intrinsically linked. At RES, safety is driven through executive accountability and embedded in how we design work, train our people, and operate on site. This is reinforced through our global leadership framework and our active contribution to shaping industry standards via the Global Wind Organisation.

By aligning training to these global benchmarks, we ensure our technicians are consistently equipped to perform safely and deliver high-quality outcomes across construction, installation, operations, and maintenance.

That investment extends beyond technical skills. We focus on wellbeing and mental health because sustainable performance depends on a supported workforce.

Programmes such as our turbine technician apprenticeships, legal internship scheme and partnership with the University of the Highlands and Islands, demonstrate our commitment to developing new talent. Equally, we recognise that skills from other sectors can be an untapped resource. Initiatives like our partnership with SkillBridge help to engage veterans who share a strong sense of purpose and values, bringing with them a wealth of transferrable skills ready to be channeled into a new career path. Alongside this, experiences such as ‘From job site to mindset’ highlight our continued dedication to mental wellbeing.

Culture is a cornerstone

Culture plays an equally important role. Many of our people choose to return to RES after time away – our “boomerang” employees – drawn back by the same values of care and collaboration that define how we work. It’s a reminder that strong culture doesn’t just attract talent; it sustains it.

Fairness, inclusion and respect also underpin our approach. Through our global RESpect networks, we create communities where people feel they belong and can help the company ensure it sustains an environment where everyone can perform to their full potential. Diversity broadens perspective, sparks innovation and strengthens decision-making – making it a genuine competitive advantage in the global race for talent.

The renewables talent crunch is real, but it’s also an opportunity. It challenges our industry to think differently about careers, capability and culture. By investing in people – their skills, wellbeing and long-term growth – we can ensure the clean energy transition is built to last. At RES, we believe the future of renewables will be powered as much by people as by technology.

Hear from Maria at Wind Europe 2026.

About:

Maria Irvin, Chief People and Culture Officer

Chair of the Skills and Education Working Group at WindEurope

Maria is currently the Chief People and Culture Officer for RES. She is a senior leader in human resources, with a background in engineering and project management.

Maria has a broad career history with experience in the energy, financial services, mining and chemicals/technology industries, has lived and worked in 3 different countries, and has held various leadership roles with multi-country accountabilities.

Maria uses she/her pronouns and is married with 2 children. She lives in The Netherlands and enjoys sports and outdoor activities in her spare time.

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