The push towards green
With a plethora of sectors now in decline, could the energy industry be our saving grace and a viable one with which job-seekers can realign their skill sets?
THIS week’s launch of Green Party senator Déirdre de Búrca’s European poster campaign may have been overshadowed by the spelling gaffe, but it certainly garnered plenty of publicity for the campaign. Those who could overlook that missing ‘s’ may have been quite taken by what de Búrca is promising — thousands of ‘green-tech’ jobs for Dublin.
Whether that promise will be met remains to be seen, but it will certainly get the attention of job-seekers and those seeking entrepreneurial opportunities during this recession. And it would appear that there are jobs for the taking in the entire energy industry.
A survey released earlier this month has found that there are a number of skills shortages in the sector. Commissioned by MERC Partners and supported by Bord Gáis, the survey indicated that Ireland can become a leader in the energy sector — if the right educational strategy is developed, and if research and development programmes in areas like wind, wave and ocean energy are pursued.
Bill Hennessy, author of the report, says: “Talent in the energy sector will be in worryingly short supply unless initiatives are taken in the coming years. These initiatives include promoting engineering and science aggressively across the entire educational system.”
The survey found that, whilst historic demand for qualified people has been met, there is an emerging demand for new skill sets such as those in energy trading because of the single electricity market, and in stakeholder management in the development of wind farms.
The demand for such skill sets is now leading some companies to go overseas to recruit.
Explains Hennessy: “Survey participants were ‘seriously concerned’ about the availability of appropriately qualified graduates and, with almost half of participating companies describing their growth plans as aggressive over the coming years, it’s clear we need to prepare accordingly.”
He is not alone in predicting skills shortages and a growing energy industry in Ireland. The bioenergy sector has become extremely viable in Ireland in recent years, both in liquid biofuels and biomass.
Since 2006, Irish Green Energy Service Companies throughout Ireland have invested nearly €5m in the development of biomass plantations and clustered land banks, and inroads have been made to developing a strong industry on these shores.
The market value for conversion of Irish homes and businesses to environmentally sustainable levels is estimated to be €25bn over the next
15 years.
Ann Kehoe, national director of the Green Energy Growers Association, says the biomass industry could save much more than Ireland’s agricultural sector.
“It will be more than the saviour of agriculture; it will create a new manufacturing industry in Ireland at a time when we are absolutely looking for a new industry. From the time you plant the seed to the time a customer purchases a new product, the spin-off, whether it’s in terms of agriculture or employment or investment in the country, is very positive.”
Good news for job-seekers and those looking to retrain is that the MERC Partners survey participants confirmed the attractiveness of the energy sector with excellent career prospects, good remuneration levels and benefits and the opportunity in some cases to work overseas. Over half of companies surveyed offer continuous professional development programmes.
“At a time when we desperately need to safeguard our economic future, improve our global standing as a country to do business in and — where we can — provide the next generation with secure and rewarding careers, we need to plan accordingly,” adds Hennessy.
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- Deirdre Doyle
