The success of the UK’s energy transition may ultimately depend on whether it can retain the skilled workforce needed to deliver it. While significant investment is being directed towards offshore wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies, there is growing concern that workers are leaving traditional oil and gas roles more quickly than emerging industries can absorb them. An issue facing the sector is not whether the workforce can support the transition, but whether the transition can support the workforce.
A Workforce at Risk
Recent industry announcements have reinforced concerns about the long-term future of the UK’s energy workforce and retention of technical expertise in the North East. Shell’s decision to relocate certain development, subsurface and wells roles from Aberdeen to London is one such example. If experienced personnel begin to leave the region, or the industry altogether, there is a risk that valuable expertise and technical capability will be difficult to replace.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has indicated that more than 113,000 oil and gas-related jobs could be lost over the next 25 years. This represents a potential 82.7% reduction in the workforce. Whether that projection ultimately materialises remains to be seen, but it highlights the scale of the challenge facing the sector and the significant loss of skills, expertise and experience that could accompany it.
Moving Between Sectors
Initiatives are underway to support workforce mobility. One of the most significant is the Energy Skills Passport, which was launched in 2025 to help workers move more easily between the oil and gas and offshore wind industries. A key objective of the Passport was to formally recognise the qualifications and experience already held by oil and gas workers, thereby reducing duplication in training, lowering costs and removing barriers to transition. However, early uptake of the Passport has been limited. Only 688 workers created profiles between January 2025 and March 2026; representing less than 1% of the workers it was designed to support.
Despite this relatively low uptake, Passport users have repeatedly identified that their qualifications and accreditations are not mutually recognised across the sector. Greater alignment of accreditation requirements, competency frameworks and industry standards may be required to facilitate the movement of workers. For example, geoscientists and other specialists with decades of experience possess highly technical expertise that will be invaluable to industries such as CCS. These workers must be provided with clear pathways and opportunities to transition into new roles. If workforce mobility is to occur at the scale necessary to meet the UK’s energy ambitions, greater coordination between industry, training bodies and government will be essential. Without consistency, regulatory barriers could slow the movement of skilled workers.
Retaining the Workforce
At present, the UK’s energy transition is often framed as a race to deploy new technologies. However, retaining the people capable of designing, building and operating them is equally important. The UK’s existing oil and gas workforce represents a significant competitive advantage. Skills in project management, offshore operations, geoscience, engineering and major infrastructure delivery are directly relevant to industries such as CCS, hydrogen and offshore wind. If successfully retained, the current workforce could assist in accelerating the transition. The real challenge may not be developing the workforce of the future but retaining today’s workforce long enough to build it.
Our report, “Evolution not revolution: Investing in the energy transition”, published by Brodies LLP in May 2026, examines the energy transition further.
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