OPITO reconfirms commitment to the energy workforce

Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, OPITO, the global safety and skills body for the energy industry, has reconfirmed its intention to identify commonalities between existing energy skills training and assessments to support global standards for hydrogen, carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) and floating offshore wind.

With a 50-year legacy in oil and gas and a global footprint, OPITO’s well established emergency response frameworks, for on and offshore, will act as a basis for the development of hydrogen-specific, CCUS and floating offshore wind workforce training.

Andy Williamson, Head of Energy Transition at OPITO, said: “Government’s plans to create a thriving green economy in the UK over the next ten years will create thousands of jobs, billions of investment and export opportunities for the supply chain.

“This is already underway with major oil and gas operators announcing plans to create offshore wind and hydrogen hubs, based in the UK. OPITO’s leading role in energy skills, development and competency means we recognise the importance of our highly skilled oil and gas workforce and the role they can play in a low carbon economy, both domestically and further afield.”

Williamson continued: “Collaboration is key. Our workgroups reviewing the standards currently in use throughout the oil and gas industry to understand transferability between sectors continue to gather momentum. The aim is to minimise duplication and standardise training for the workforce, thereby reducing cost and helping the supply chain to remain competitive.

“We are already working with major project developers globally, focused on technologies including offshore wind, hydrogen and CCUS, to ensure that our existing standards are embedded into these projects and the workforce can operate to the highest standard possible in a safe and skilled manner.

“Together with our partners and stakeholders, this approach will be upheld throughout the energy transition to ensure safety is never compromised and we secure high value renewable jobs in the UK.”

OPITO’s commitment to supporting the energy transition is underlined by its role leading the development of a People and Skills Plan as part of the North Sea Transition Deal, launched in March 2021.