Attract, maintain & upskill talent for NZ's energy future - report
A new report from Energy Resources Aotearoa says the country must take steps to attract, retain, and upskill the individuals that will drive the energy sector of tomorrow. The report sets out an industry skills action plan for Taranaki and the wider energy sector and recognises the changes underway in the energy sector in response to climate change.
Building energy’s talent pipeline shows that with effective planning and implementation the sector will continue to deliver the energy we need today, while preparing for the new energy mix that we will use in the future.
Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie says:
"The global energy sector is changing, which bring new challenges and opportunities for the energy workforce. Our challenge, and New Zealand’s challenge, is to maintain, support and develop a highly skilled and specialised workforce in the face of unprecedented labour shortages and changing workforce expectations."
"Our energy workforce is comprised of highly skilled and sought-after individuals that have transferrable skills. We are in a race for global talent to power our energy transition."
The report identifies three strategic areas of focus: Attraction, Development and Collaboration. Each have a number of objectives and tangible actions the sector and associated stakeholders can implement over the next three years. Some examples of these include developing an energy curriculum for years 9-10 secondary school students and the development of a Women in Energy initiative to encourage diversity in the sector.
"The energy transition is upon us. Our report and research that underpins it focuses on what that transition will mean and look like for Taranaki’s energy workforce. But our insights are more broadly applicable across New Zealand as we pursue a just transition for the industry’s talent."
"We welcome the opportunity to share our findings with other regional bodies and to explore opportunities for greater inter-regional and national collaboration," Carnegie says.
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