Winds of change make renewable jobs the careers of the future say North Sea apprentices

THREE South Tyneside apprentices working on wind turbines in the North Sea have urged youngsters to look at careers in renewable industries if they’re seeking good, well-paid jobs with a future.

Careers Week, which ends this Sunday (March 9th), has focused attention on job seeking across the nation this week.

And the three apprentices – 19-year-olds Logan Ebanks and Jamie Edwards and 20-year-old Bridie Gallagher – have added their voices to those highlighting the growing number of green jobs now available.

The trio were the first from South Tyneside to study electrical engineering and logistics and become wind farm technicians at Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

And having started to experience life working in the North Sea since August last year, their development and skill growth is coming on quickly.

Calling in from the Grampian Tweed in the North Sea, Logan, a former St Wilfrid’s School pupil, said: “I’d recommend this sort of career to anyone.

“It’s interesting, it’s different, and you’re learning all the time – especially when you’re onboard a vessel in the North Sea for a couple of weeks, gaining hands-on experience.

“At the moment, I’m working two weeks onboard, two weeks off, and while that takes a bit of getting used to – you can miss out on one or two things if you’re away – you’ve got that fortnight’s break to do what you want every month before throwing yourself back into work.”

Another former St Wilfrid’s pupil, Bridie, is a female pioneer – working over 80 miles from shore on wind turbines.

She said: “More women are training in this sector all the time.

“I’m enjoying it more and more and people need to know that this is the sort of work a woman can do well at.

“It’s also a job where you can go far without having to be university-educated, and in Careers Week, I’d be happy to recommend a career in renewables onshore or offshore.

“I think there are all sorts of jobs available in renewable industries, and the work is going to go for decades, so it’s a secure job for the future.

“I think young girls tend to write engineering off as a subject too quickly, but it’s such a good subject to get into – especially with renewables – because many companies are willing to get into it and be more progressive in green energy.”

Last week, a national report on the UK’s Net Zero economy showed that the North East is currently growing at more than 10 percent a year, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in the region.

Now worth £2.3 billion to the region’s economy, it directly employs 31,800 full-time workers, representing 2.8 per cent of the North East workforce.

The third apprentice, Jamie Edwards, formerly of Whitburn Church of England Academy, is proud to be part of that growing workforce.

Jamie is currently working in wind operations, maintenance, and logistics onshore and offshore, supplying essential components to the wind farm. In the longer term, he’s also looking to train as a wind farm technician.

He said: “I loved the offshore work I did before the apprenticeship, but I wanted to get involved in renewables even at that early stage, and Dogger Bank is a perfect combination, so I’m pleased to have this opportunity.

“There’s plenty of chances for you to specialise in whatever field you get interested as you go through the training and pick up knowledge, so it’s also a career where you have options as you develop.”

It has been identified that a future skills gap looms in the renewable sector, and new routes into the industry, like apprenticeships, are working to address that issue ahead of time, keeping the hundreds of wind turbines off the coast turning seamlessly.

Dogger Bank offshore windfarm will have the capacity to power six million UK homes once it’s three phases are complete.

Logan, Jamie and Bridie are part of that skills drive needed to maintain the giant 260-metre-tall turbines more than 130km from the North East coastline.