June 12, 2022

Offshore skills passport to bolster UK’s green transition

topic:	Good Governance
located:	United Kingdom
editor:	Abby Klinkenberg

In response to significant pressure from environmental activists and oil and gas workers alike, the Energy Skills Alliance, led by Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO), has announced its plans to launch a skills passport to support UK oil and gas workers’ transition to green offshore industries.

Until now, the privatised certification schemes that govern the UK oil and gas, offshore wind and shipping industries have not recognised UK oil and gas workers’ transferable skills that can be applied in renewable energy sectors. Workers have had to pay heavily out of pocket (into the thousands of pounds) for what are essentially duplicate certificates. Relentless campaigning by environmentalists and workers’ unions underpin this move towards what advocates call a “just transition'' away from fossil fuels.

The initiative comes as part of the “Integrated People and Skills Strategy” under the 2021 North Sea Transition Deal (which was criticised for failing to “include any binding targets on the industry to either reduce its emissions or invest in renewable energy”). According to the strategy, OPITO will lead efforts to align offshore energy standards by (1) “creat[ing] a coalition of standards bodies to map, align, and mutually recognise offshore energy safety and technical training standards” by Q3 2022; (2) “develop[ing] an integrated framework of offshore energy safety and technical training standards [that] avoids duplication of training wherever possible” by Q4 2022; and (3) “implement[ing] a digital solution that enables skilled workers to move more easily across sectors” by Q4 2023. It is important to note that “unions” are mentioned 8 times in the 34-page document; “industry” is mentioned 116 times.

While acknowledging that this is a critical and long overdue step forward, climate NGOs like Friends of Earth Scotland and unions like Scotland’s National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) urge caution. According to Jake Molloy, Chair of RMT’s Offshore Coordinating Group, “The unions cautiously welcome [this] news… I say ‘cautiously’ as the real test for this initiative will be the energy industry embracing this across the oil and gas, wind, maritime, and other sectors… We will be seeking assurances around the involvement of the Trade Unions and the wider workforce to provide a degree of independent analysis… with a view to reaching a collaborative, inclusive agreement.”

In his statement, Molloy also pointed out the need for increased government support. In February, MPs had an opportunity to support the “just transition” through legislation, but ultimately rejected a package of amendments to the since-passed Skills and Post-16 Education Bill that would have given the UK Government a say in shaping the training passport parameters. Conservative MP David Duguid emphasised that “industry should lead” the way in offshore skills transferral processes.

And so it is: OPITO is leading the charge and, while it has emphasised its commitment to seeking input from workers’ unions, the path towards genuine inclusivity may be hard fought. According to Scottish environmental group Scot.E3 (Employment, Energy, and Environment), OPITO has a reputation as “an industry body that does the industry’s bidding” associated with the “neoliberal restructuring of the British economy.”

Ultimately, this development is a victory for the UK oil and gas workers who pay an average of over 1800 GBP in annual training costs. Building a green workforce by means of skill transfer initiatives like this one is the first step towards achieving the UK’s Paris Agreement commitments, including its goal to cut emissions by 68 percent by 2030. The next step will be the provision of new green jobs for this newly minted green workforce.

Photo by Nicholas Doherty

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