Powering Progress Together: Scotland's offshore wind skills priorities and action plan

Identifying Priority Job Roles

The Offshore Wind Skills Short-Life Working Group considered evidence from a variety of sources and agreed to focus collective action on the following immediate priority job roles, with particular emphasis on regions where demand will be greatest:

• Installation & Maintenance Electricians - install and maintain electrical systems that connect turbines to the grid.
• Metal Working Production & Maintenance Fitters - assemble and maintain the structures that support turbines and offshore platforms.
• Wind Turbine Technicians - build, operate and service turbines throughout their lifecycle.
• Mechanical Design Engineers - design the components and systems that allow turbines and supporting infrastructure to function safely and efficiently.
• Engineering Technicians - provide hands-on technical support across construction, operations and maintenance.
• Electrical Engineers - design, test and oversee the electrical systems that transmit power from offshore wind farms to homes and businesses.
• Marine and Waterways Transport Operatives – operate the vessels needed for constructing and maintaining offshore wind farms

A key source of data considered was the 2025 Wind Industry Skills Intelligence Report. That report also confirmed that demand will be highest in Aberdeen and the North-East, the Highlands and Islands, and Tayside, Central, and Fife. However the scale of demand means that large population centres in Scotland must also be considered as important sources of skilled labour.

Skills demands shift over time as offshore wind projects move through the lifecycle from development (5 to 10 years) to construction (2 to 4 years) and then to operation and maintenance (up to 35 years). This creates a clear need for a pipeline of skilled workers that not only meets immediate construction requirements but also sustains the workforce for decades of operation. Many of these roles will require several years of training and experience, therefore action needs to be taken in advance of when demand peaks.

It is notable that many of the priority roles identified are also essential to the delivery of Scotland’s electricity grid build-out and are in demand across other sectors, including renewables, such as onshore wind and solar. For example, engineering and electrical roles already account for nearly 30% of clean energy job vacancies advertised across the UK.^[1] As such, a focus on these priority job roles will likely impact positively beyond the offshore wind sector.

The agreed priority job roles are based on current data and evidence and will be reviewed and refined as new data emerges, ensuring there is consensus regarding demand and that we respond to evolving workforce needs.