Chemicals and renewables’ lack of appeal leaves recruitment headache

Commissioned by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB), the Inspiring Directions study focuses on career motivations among young workers.

It suggests both sectors are struggling to appeal to the general population, but particularly women. The ECITB estimates that by the end of the decade the chemicals sector will need 6,000 new hires, while the renewables sector could need more than four times that number.

ECITB chief executive Andrew Hockey said that the low ratio of industry newcomers compared to those retiring meant that “understanding the career motivations of new entrants is paramount to ensuring workforce needs are met.”

The report found positive attitudes to the sectors amongst those working in associated industries linked to engineering construction. Nearly half those surveyed (47%) had a favourable attitude to chemicals sector jobs, while nearly two thirds (65%) said they would consider a career in renewables.

However, the picture was drastically different among the wider population, plunging to 14% and 22% respectively. Among women the percentages were even lower.

Where chemicals was concerned said Hockey, the study suggested the image of the sector was unattractive to new entrants, especially women, and that must be done to address recruitment and retention.

However chemicals has long battled to overcome its image and the bigger surprise is perhaps the failure of the renewables sector to appeal to a young workforce often assumed to be more motivated by environmental issues.

With the proportion of the UK workforce nearing retirement age outstripping the number of young people entering, competition for employees has meant that most industries face the prospect of shortages.

In engineering and associated industries, one obvious remedy has been to target women, who have traditionally been under represented in professions in these areas. The ECITB survey suggests not only that progress has been slow within the chemicals sector but also that sectors such as renewables, which face fewer reputational challenges, but need to grow much more, could face equal difficulty.

ECITB chief Hockey said: “Our Labour Forecasting Tool forecasts an 84% increase in demand for workers in the renewables sector by 2030 amid a boom in project activity.

“With 25,000 extra skilled workers needed in this period, including 16,000 in offshore wind, understanding the career motivations of new entrants is paramount to ensuring workforce needs are met.”