Research Programme: Net Zero Operations
Programme Lead: Professor John McCall & Dr Ciprian Zavoianu
Supported By: Dr Martin Fyvie
Funder/Sponsor: Scottish Government’s Energy Transition Fund
Project Status: In Progress
Overview
The Offshore Energy Workforce Planning Framework is one of the three NSC-led work packages within the larger Data for Net Zero (D4NZ) Project awarded in 2021 to the Net Zero Technology Centre from the Scottish Government’s Energy Transition Fund. The overall aim of D4NZ is to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero future by delivering a Smart Energy Basin (grounded in advanced data science, visualisation and modelling) that can facilitate cross-sectorial optimal decision-making. The Workforce Planning Framework aims to develop tools and methods to aid companies in better understanding their evolving workforce and skill demands as they transition towards a greener-energy environment. This is achieved through efficient staff rota creation with retraining for the changing skill requirements of future roles at its heart.
Motivation
In the UK there is a growing need to support the workforce within the UK Continental Shelf as it undergoes a crucial transition towards a net-zero North Sea. To achieve this transition, major changes in workforce volume, location and skillsets are already underway. This work package is designed to help with this transition by efficiently matching the multi-skilled offshore workforce with the evolving needs of the energy and related sectors, ensuring a smooth and just transition to a sustainable future.
Real-World Impact
The impact provided from this project includes identifying the changing skill-landscape of the workforce, charting companies’ needs against the evolving demographics of the UKCS workforce and providing rotas with training allocations designed to meet these new needs over both operational (12-15 months) and strategic (3-5 years) timescales. The AI-Driven methods developed are used to identify cost-effective training opportunities, evolve roles towards the future needs of a company and reduce overheads through smart, efficient planning of training and staff allocations. A significant target of this project is to support the just transition of the workforce, ensuring an equitable and inclusive workforce development plan.
