Wind Energy

The main objective of the OSKA labour and skills needs study for the wind energy sector is to analyse and forecast the changes in employment, labour demand, and required skills in the sector’s core occupations up to the year 2040. Three scenarios were developed to project employment and labour force demand in the sector, providing a basis for estimating future needs for vocational and higher education training.

A detailed analysis and forecast of labour demand in the sector’s core occupations is provided only for activities directly related to wind energy, such as maintenance, operational support, development, and oversight. Supporting activities and related sectors are addressed more generally in the study.

Currently, wind energy is a small sector, but it is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. As a result, the sector will face a critical shortage of qualified labour in the coming years.

As of early 2024, a total of 165 people were employed in the core occupations of the wind energy sector.

Considering both employment growth and replacement needs, the annual labour demand for core occupations in the wind energy sector is nearly 30 people, amounting to a total of around 400 workers over the entire forecast period. Based on the labour demand perceived by employers, which also takes workforce turnover into account, the need is significantly higher: nearly 50 workers per year and over 800 for the period 2025–2040.

To meet the growing labour demand in the wind energy sector, it is essential to enhance vocational students’ practical skills and complement higher education curricula with additional courses and/or modules on wind energy. Ensuring the quality of sectoral education requires the availability of appropriate material and technical resources and the recruitment and development of vocational teachers and academic staff.