Ireland’s burgeoning renewable energy industry was given an extra shot in the arm by the Climate Action Plan published last year. The plan outlines targets of 80 per cent of electricity generation from renewable sources, including 9 gigawatts (GW) from onshore wind, 8GW from solar and at least 5GW from offshore wind by the year 2030.
To realise these ambitious targets, a broad spectrum of skills will be essential across the renewable energy landscape – from engineers to environmental scientists, maritime experts to marine researchers.
According to Mark Ruane, who is head of renewable energy skills with Wind Energy Ireland, there is an urgent need to expand educational offerings in these areas to support the sector’s rapid and necessary growth.
“The transition to renewables not only supports climate commitments but also unlocks significant economic potential, with offshore wind alone projected to contribute up to €38 billion to the Irish economy by 2050,” he says. For example, an energy storage skills report published by Green Tech Skillnet stated that up to 5,000 energy storage jobs could be created in the next decade.
“Engineers, environmental scientists, planners, accountants, technicians and HV electricians are vital for project development, delivery, and maintenance, while expertise in maritime operations, marine engineering, and marine surveys is critical to building and maintaining offshore infrastructure,” says Ruane. “As grid resilience and flexibility become increasingly important, skills in battery technologies, systems integration, and energy system design are in high demand.”
“Key to our success in the green energy transition is achieving a balanced workforce of specialists and experts in renewable technologies and support functions who know how to connect and operate the energy system,” says Paula Carroll, associate professor at the UCD School of Business and co-chair of the UCD Sustainable Energy Community.
Carroll points out that the future energy system will be interconnected and digital, opening up opportunities for people looking for a challenging, rewarding sector in which to work.
“Digitalisation of many work tasks reduces the requirement for physical labour – women who may not have considered working in the energy sector in the past now have new opportunities to contribute and participate in the energy transition,” she says.
Skills gaps are now consistently identified as being the biggest barrier to transformation, says David Gethin, manager, workforce consulting, with PwC Ireland.
“The education sector has a critical role to play in meeting our future capability and skills needs at a national level,” he says. “There is a real opportunity for Irish universities to partner with the sector in ensuring proper alignment in educational offerings with industry needs.”
Developing talent is an important part of the supply chain, agrees Geraldine Carroll, University of Limerick (UL) associate vice-president, graduate and professional studies. However, she offers the caveat that a degree of caution is required.
“Renewables talent is crucial and universities need to play a significant role,” she says. “However, a skills response needs to be multi-institutional, with education providers working together to ensure learning pathways are targeted, complementary and timely.”
After all, Carroll points out, many of the forecasted jobs are not yet in existence.
“Education providers should avoid producing expectant graduates in areas of low employment only to export them,” she says.
Universities must introduce renewables into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and, as career pathways emerge, continue to evolve each curriculum, Carroll advises.
“An excellent example of this is the bachelor/master’s degree in electrical engineering at UL, which offers an accelerated path from bachelor’s to master’s level, with a focus on energy storage, solar and wind energy and net zero carbon.”
UCD’s Paula Carroll notes that the university offers a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses across relevant disciplines: “Not all degrees are specifically focused on the renewable energy sector – but many provide multidisciplinary perspectives that can be applied to the clean energy transition.”
The good news is that whether transitioning from traditional energy roles or entering the renewable field for the first time, individuals have access to a range of upskilling options. A key initiative in this national effort is the Skillnet Offshore Wind Academy, which Ruane says is designed to accelerate workforce development through a career-switching model.
“Targeting mid-career professionals from other sectors with transferable skills, the academy provides new opportunities to upskill and transition into high-impact roles in offshore wind,” he explains.
Skillnet Ireland is also launching a series of micro-credential courses tailored to key roles in the offshore wind supply chain, including roles such as resource analyst, wind turbine technician, able seafarer and geophysicist.
Geraldine Carroll also notes that UL offers one-year part-time professional diplomas in sustainability and climate adaptation and sustainable work, and a certificate in sustainable resource management. These are delivered in partnership with Climate Ready Academy Skillnet and provide flexible learning options for work-based learners, she adds.
“Professionals increasingly move laterally between roles and sectors and UL’s programmes are designed to support that flexibility,” says Carroll.
Ireland’s proactive approach to skills development in renewables is gaining international attention: Green Tech Skillnet was recently spotlighted by the Renewable Energy Skills Partnership in an EU Pact for Skills position paper as a European best practice.
“This initiative is not only about technical training, it’s about building a new generation of Irish professionals who will drive the renewable energy transition,” says Ruane.
