The survey points to bullish confidence in the resilience of green energy to the disruption of the pandemic
Survey of energy professionals worldwide points to strong confidence in the future resilience of the fast-expanding renewables sector
Renewables industry professionals around the world appear to be broadly unfazed by the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their sector, according to a new global survey, which indicates strong confidence the industry will bounce back strongly from disruption caused by the pandemic.
Released today, the Global Energy Talent Index released today – which claims to be the world’s largest energy recruitment and employment trends report – is based on a survey of over 16,000 energy professionals from 166 countries across the oil and gas, renewables, power, nuclear, and petrochemicals sectors.
It found 85 per cent of renewables professionals expect the sector to experience growth over the next three years, with 70 per cent citing optimism around future advances in engineering techniques and technologies that could open up significant new opportunities for the industry.
And although 56 per cent cited Covid-19 as a potential barrier to growth that represented the biggest challenge facing the sector, two-thirds – 66 per cent – said they were confident their firm was resilient to the threats posed by the pandemic.
The survey, which was carried out by workforce consultants Airswift and energy and engineering jobsite Energy Jobline, also found 77 per cent of renewables workers believe their industry has grown over the past year, while just over than half projected ‘strong growth’ for the years ahead.
Janette Marx, Airswift CEO, said renewables professionals were largely motivated by the longer-term opportunities on offer by the industry, as well as their excitement at the potential engineering and technological innovations that could help fuel further growth across the sector.
“There is no denying that this has been a challenging year for the energy industry, and Covid-19-related instability is certainly being felt by the workforce,” she said. “Yet the energy transition leaves renewables businesses well positioned to grow over the coming years.”
Elsewhere, the study found 35 per cent of renewables professionals reported a pay rise last year, while 16 per cent faced pay curbs. More than two-thirds said they were optimistic of a pay increase in 2021.
The report follows a torrid year for the global economy, which many countries introduce lockdown measures that led to sharp reductions in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the renewables sector proved broadly resilient to the disruption compared to the fossil fuel energy, with the oil and gas sector in particular suffering a significant drop in prices and demand last year.
Josh Young, director at Energy Jobline, said renewables businesses now had “a huge opportunity in the years ahead, but only if they continue to build upon their efforts to recruit bright young people”.
“This means increasing the emphasis on the innovative nature of the work and on the role of digital technology in providing new and stimulating career paths that can extend far into the future,” he added.
