The gas industry must change its narrative to attract talent. By Ben Hill 

The gas sector in the UK currently finds itself at risk of facing a serious skills gap. Two fifths (41 percent) of the workforce is aged over 50, with 18 percent over 60, meaning a significant proportion of its talent is likely to be leaving over the next decade as they approach retirement age. 

This is only half of the problem. The gas industry is also increasingly struggling to attract the new talent it needs. Just 12 percent of employees in this sector are under the age of 30: the lowest figure reported amongst any major UK industrial sector. 

Compelling more talent into the industry is crucial for its future success, and to meet the UK’s future energy requirements more broadly. But this will require the sector to address critical misconceptions. 

Industry insiders worry that graduates and aspiring engineers don’t see a long-term future in gas careers, being a sector students and trainees mainly associate with fossil fuels – which has less relevance in a net-zero world. Instead, they’re choosing to specialize in low and zero carbon subsectors like renewables and nuclear. 

Indeed, natural gas will continue to play a critical role during the energy transition over the next decade. But there’s longevity promised by hydrogen, and transitioning today’s infrastructure for the transmission of natural gas, into tomorrow’s infrastructure for hydrogen. 

Connecting young talent with this opportunity and building confidence in the long-term future of gas sector careers, needs to be a key priority for the sector. 

The clean energy infrastructure of tomorrow 

Ultimately the gas infrastructure of today can be the clean energy infrastructure of tomorrow. The country’s vast gas network comprises over 300,000 km of pipelines alongside a sophisticated National Transmission System (NTS). This existing infrastructure will provide a strong foundation for a hydrogen transmission network – which looks set to play a key role in the UK’s clean energy future. 

Much of our existing gas infrastructure could be repurposed to transport hydrogen instead. Not only is it technically feasible, but it also offers a cost-effective way of accelerating the country’s decarbonization efforts. But this transformation can’t happen without the people and talent to make it a reality. 

Similarly, there is work to be done to help modernize our current system. New technologies have created the potential for digitization across the network, allowing for remote monitoring to take place to help drive efficiencies and ensure robust safety protocols are in place. 

All of this will require the traditional skilled engineers that the industry has always relied on, alongside new expertise in areas like cyber systems, data analytics and AI. While upskilling existing employees has a role to play, none of this will be possible if the sector continues to fail to attract new talent from the next generation. 

Engaging young people 

The gas sector needs to start proactively engaging young people by providing clear and appealing pathways into the industry. 

One route is through apprenticeships. At Bilfinger our own schemes cover a range of areas including mechanical design, process engineering and data analytics to help people find their areas of expertise and then develop extensive skillsets within them. Investing more into these types of programs can go a long way in bringing more young people into the industry. 

Beyond this, it’s up to contractors, manufacturers and everyone within the sector to actively go out there and educate young people about the opportunities in gas, whether that’s through school outreach programs and career fairs, or fostering partnerships with colleges and universities. 

Creating accessible opportunities – and ensuring young people are aware of them – is essential if we are to close the talent gap and future-proof the industry. 

Changing the narrative 

The sector will also need to evolve if it is to meet this challenge. There needs to be a cultural shift in how the gas sector talks about itself so it can challenge perceptions and demonstrate it doesn’t have to be part of the climate problem; it can instead be a critical part of the climate solution. 

Young professionals care about the impact and purpose of the work they’re doing. Offering them the chance to contribute to maintaining and improving the infrastructure that can one day be the bedrock of a clean hydrogen economy is a compelling offer. Positioning itself in this way can help the gas sector to attract the engineers and digital specialists that it needs to prevent the skills gap from widening. 

If the gas sector is to play a role in driving our energy transition, perceptions need to change just as much as pipes and plants do.  

Ben Hill 

www.bilfinger.com/en/uk/ 

Ben Hill is Project Director at Bilfinger UK. Bilfinger is an international industrial services provider. The aim of the Group’s activities is to increase the efficiency and sustainability of customers in the process industry and to establish itself as the number one partner in the market for this purpose. Bilfinger’s comprehensive portfolio covers the entire value chain from consulting, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and plant expansion to turnarounds and digital applications.