National Grid: Diversity Holds Key to Clean Energy Workforce Challenge

Which element of the energy transition are you most focused upon? It might be technological development, it might be types of energy sources, it might be installing energy efficiency or low carbon heating in our homes – or even the need for regulatory reform to allow anticipatory investment in critical infrastructures.

But whatever your specialism, there is one thing that every component of the energy transition requires – people. And when we say “people” we mean enough to fill the 400,000 jobs required by 2050 within the energy sector alone, in order to reach net zero.

That figure was given to us by David Wright, Group Chief Engineer at National Grid. The sheer scale of the recruitment and skills development job required to deliver a huge amount of activity before that net zero target is achieved mustn’t be downplayed. To give you an idea, by 2030, this includes more than doubling renewable electricity generation such as solar or wind power, installing low carbon heating system into around 2.8 million homes, and installing approximately 60,000 EV charging points around the UK.

We spoke to David to get an insight into National Grid’s views on the importance of a diverse workforce which will be fundamental to ensuring the UK’s net zero ambitions become a sustainable reality…

The Sheer Scale

“The figures you’ve quoted above come from the research we undertook with independent research partner Development Economics and the UK Government. The resultant “Building the Net Zero Energy Workforce Report” details the skills and expertise the UK energy sector will require to help reach net zero. The UK energy sector will need civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, data and business analysts, IT experts, experts in communications and change management – and so many other skills. But these are skills that need to be pooled to create a holistic approach to what must surely be the biggest industrial shift of our lifetime. The industry needs people today, tomorrow, for the foreseeable future and beyond.”

Diversity Holds the Key

“At National Grid we believe this can be achieved by creating as diverse a workforce as the UK has ever seen; opening up the energy sector to those who may not traditionally be involved. But how do we go about this? How do we attract and maintain the UK-wide workforce needed to deliver on net zero – which at the moment is calculated as 60,000 in the North-West, 40,000 in the North-East and 50,000 in Scotland.

“It rests on some serious collaboration between the education sector, business and the Government to inspire and educate across regions, age groups, circumstances and abilities. For example, Rhian Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer at National Grid, sits on the Green Jobs Taskforce, I sit on the Green Jobs Delivery Group and together, with our colleagues, we’re looking at the actions required across the country to tackle the barriers to building this workforce.

“Developing technologies such as electric vehicles, offshore wind, and hydrogen could bring huge economic benefits to industrial heartlands and coastal communities. And the Government’s ambition in, for example, the British Energy Security Strategy now needs to be translated into delivery at pace, in order to drive the required investment.”

A workforce that represents all communities

“To achieve a successful energy transition, we need people with different backgrounds and experiences which reflect communities around the country. By opening up the industry to as wide a potential workforce as possible, and as many women as men, we then benefit from a whole range of ideas and solutions from a multi-disciplinary workforce – and that also means that the sector will be better at taking decisions with a range of perspectives automatically built in. 

“Our Grid For Good programme, for example, focuses on social mobility, working with nine charities to break down barriers that are preventing individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds accessing training and employment opportunities in the energy sector. We’re also focused on developing skills from other industries, as well as creating a return pathway for those who may have left the sector.”

A company wide effort

“Employees across National Grid are united in their drive to create a diverse workforce and strengthen the skills available to deliver on climate ambitions - highlighted by, for example, the significant hours of employee volunteering that have gone into initiatives such as our Grid for Good programme.

“Everything we’re doing to attract diverse talent to the energy sector and encourage a wider interest in career opportunities within the industry is reflected by our internal diversity objectives, not least our goal of 50% diversity by 2025. Already our workforce is at 38% diversity, our executive senior leadership at 49% and our Board at 54% diversity. We have no material gender pay gap in the UK and we also report on our UK ethnicity pay gap, which is 3.2%.

“Having just returned from COP27, I was pleased to see that diversity was also very evident at the Summit, reinforcing the importance of diverse voices on such a critical topic. For example, there was a hugely increased representation from Asia and Africa, which I felt made for more varied conversations and brought into sharp focus the energy transition’s impact on different countries, the worldwide need for these skills and the impact this transition is having - and will continue to have - on lives.

“It really is all about the people.”