Powering a Greener Future – Growth of the Renewable Energy Workforce
The global renewable energy sector is rapidly growing with over 40% of the worlds electricity being generated from renewable sources in 2024. As wind, solar, and other green technologies surge, the demand for skilled professionals is rising – reshaping the job market and fuelling the energy transition.
The UK has set ambitious targets to achieve 50GW offshore wind capacity by 2030. According to The Crown Estate, the offshore wind sector alone is expected to grow from +400% from 32,000 jobs to well over 120,000 in the next 5 years, requiring an influx of 10,000 skilled workers annually.
This mirrors broader job growth in the clean energy space:
- 272,178 green jobs were advertised in 2024 (a consistent +9.2% yoy increase)
- 725,000 new clean energy jobs forecasted over the coming years
- 84% of UK consumers actively support renewable energy expansion
The Renewable Energy Skills Gap:
Despite this progress, there’s a growing imbalance between supply and demand for green skills. According to LinkedIn’s Global Climate Talent Stocktake, while global demand for green talent rose by 11.6%, supply only increased by 5.6% in the same period. If left unaddressed, this skills gap could widen to 101.5% by 2050, with the UK among the most impacted nations. Therefore, the future of the energy sector depends not just on infrastructure and innovation, but on finding and training the right people.
Emerging Roles in Clean Energy:
Candidates from oil and gas, logistics, tech, or even finance are pivoting successfully into renewables by highlighting transferable skills and a growth mindset. With a growing number of hybrid and distributed energy projects combining wind and solar power, the roles recruiters source for are becoming increasingly specialised.
High-demand roles include:
- Engineers (electrical, mechanical, renewable systems)
- Project Managers (especially with offshore wind or solar experience)
- Operations Managers (support facility management and provide technical sales support)
(See all of our available CleanTech roles here)
As the IEA reports, grid investment must double by 2030 to meet climate goals. This means even greater urgency to hire professionals capable of expanding, modernising, and integrating the UK’s grid systems.
Building the Net-Zero Workforce:
As demand for wind, solar, and sustainable grid solutions accelerates, so does the need for innovative recruitment strategies and talent pipelines. Whether you’re a company seeking to expand your renewable operations, or a professional looking to break into a high-impact industry, now is the time to act.
At Experts Group International, we’re proud to play a pivotal role in building the workforce behind the clean energy transition. Our CleanTech Team specialises in connecting top-tier talent with companies leading the way in offshore wind, solar and hydropower, data centres, and energy storage systems.
EGI at the Clean Energy Front Line
EGI CleanTech Principal Consultant Darryl Leigh, and CleanTech Delivery Consultant, Max Webber just spent two days at the RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind Exhibition at ExCeL London. This was a great opportunity for them to engage with industry leaders, explore future trends, and identify how they can continue to support both clients and candidates across the offshore wind ecosystem.
If you are hiring in the clean energy sector, you can speak to one of our consulting experts here.
Lastly, if you are exploring new work opportunities within the CleanTech industry, click here to see our available roles.