Graduate apprenticeships: Bridging the renewable energy skills gap

As the UK pushes towards its renewable energy goals, a significant challenge looms: the growing skills gap within the sector.

With ambitious targets set by the new Labour government to establish the UK as a clean energy superpower, the need for a skilled workforce has become increasingly urgent. Recent studies indicate that the country will require an additional 400,000 workers in renewable energy to meet its net zero commitments.

Graduate apprenticeships emerge as a promising solution, blending work-based and academic learning to produce job-ready graduates equipped with industry-relevant skills.

Heriot-Watt University has been at the forefront of this initiative, collaborating with businesses to develop tailored training programmes across various disciplines essential to the energy sector. 

As the UK aims to significantly increase its renewable energy capacity by 2030, fostering partnerships between industry, academia, and government will be crucial to building a workforce capable of achieving these ambitious targets.

Read more: How graduate apprenticeships will help fill the UK’s renewable energy skills gap