Overview of the offshore wind industry’s rapid growth
The offshore wind industry is expanding at an unprecedented rate. With governments setting ambitious net-zero targets, offshore wind has become a cornerstone of renewable energy strategies. The UK leads Europe, with a project pipeline exceeding 80 GW and a commitment to install up to 50 GW of capacity by 2030 (UK Government – Offshore Wind Sector Deal).
Technological developments, including floating wind platforms and larger, more efficient turbines, are unlocking access to deeper waters and new markets. These advancements bring enormous opportunity but also create significant demand for skilled people. Meeting that demand is one of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
The key workforce challenges: skills, safety, and compliance
As the sector matures, workforce demands are becoming more complex. The three main challenges are skills shortages, safety-critical working environments, and increasing compliance obligations.
Skills gaps and talent shortages
The pace of expansion has outstripped the supply of skilled workers. Roles in high demand include wind turbine technicians, project engineers, offshore supervisors, HSE professionals, and cable installation specialists. Many of these are transferable from oil and gas, marine, or shipbuilding. However, competition across these sectors is fierce. Companies are often chasing the same pool of experienced contractors, which slows down mobilisation and pushes up project costs.
National Grid ESO’s Future Energy Scenarios highlights the critical workforce demands linked to net-zero targets.
Safety-critical work environments
Offshore wind is a safety-driven industry. Every site, vessel, and turbine environment presents risks that demand rigorous training and discipline. Workers must be competent in offshore survival, working at height, fire awareness, confined space entry, and emergency response. Placing individuals without current certifications or the right safety mindset can compromise entire operations.
The Global Wind Organisation (GWO) sets the industry standards for safety training in offshore wind.
Regulatory and compliance pressures
In addition to safety requirements, companies must ensure full compliance with local and international employment laws. This includes verifying right-to-work status, ensuring maritime labour law compliance, managing tax status under IR35, and tracking training records. Project timelines leave little room for error—non-compliance can lead to costly delays, penalties, or reputational damage.
Intermarine UK’s approach to sourcing and managing offshore talent
At Intermarine UK, we take a focused, strategic approach to offshore wind recruitment. We combine deep sector experience with rigorous compliance and project support, helping our clients maintain safe, productive worksites with minimal disruption.
Learn more about our offshore wind services here.
Sector expertise
We specialise in recruitment for energy, marine, and shipbuilding. This gives us direct access to a pool of technical talent already familiar with the challenges of offshore environments. Our team understands the operational pressures, safety standards, and personnel needs specific to wind farm construction and maintenance.
Building talent pipelines
Rather than relying solely on reactive hiring, we maintain active databases of qualified professionals across key roles. We screen and verify each candidate in advance, allowing us to respond quickly to project requirements and changing timelines. Many of our contractors have worked with us on previous deployments, bringing consistency and a proven track record.
This forward-planning approach ensures project-ready personnel are available when needed, reducing downtime and improving mobilisation efficiency.
End-to-end workforce support
Our service goes beyond recruitment. We support the full contractor lifecycle—from onboarding to demobilisation. This includes aligning personnel availability to project schedules, handling all onboarding paperwork and compliance checks, and maintaining communication and support throughout the deployment. Our team is available 24/7 to respond to urgent queries or operational issues, ensuring that nothing is left to chance.
Training, certifications, and compliance considerations
Qualified workers are critical to offshore safety and productivity. We place high importance on ensuring every individual has the correct training, medical fitness, and legal documentation before deployment.
Offshore certifications
Workers must hold valid, up-to-date training aligned with current industry standards. For most offshore wind roles, Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Basic Safety Training is essential. Additional requirements may include BOSIET or FOET, HUET for helicopter transfers, OGUK medicals, and trade-specific certifications such as IRATA or CompEx.
At Intermarine UK, we verify all certifications before deployment. Through Inter Marine Training (IM Training)—part of the Inter Marine Group—we also deliver specialist GWO courses in safety, health, and environmental protection. Our training supports workers at every stage of their wind energy career, ensuring compliance and readiness for offshore work.
Developed in collaboration with leading industry partners, including Energy Innovation in Norway and maritime institutions in Poland, IM Training provides access to the latest knowledge, practical skills, and industry best practices. This integrated approach helps our workforce stay compliant, safe, and fully prepared.
Right-to-work and tax compliance
We manage all right-to-work checks for UK and EU-based roles and ensure full alignment with IR35 legislation. Our contractor onboarding process includes employment status assessments and, where required, the provision of compliant PAYE or umbrella solutions. This removes risk and administrative burden for our clients, particularly on cross-border projects.
Maintaining competency and safety standards
Compliance isn’t a one-time task. We support ongoing competency through regular site feedback, safety reporting, and collaboration with supervisors and training partners. By maintaining close contact with both contractors and clients, we help create a culture where safety is embedded, not just enforced.
Future trends in offshore wind recruitment
Looking ahead, workforce requirements in offshore wind will continue to shift. Understanding these changes is essential for building a resilient talent pipeline.
Floating wind and new technical roles
Floating wind will require new skills, particularly in mooring systems, dynamic cable installation, and platform maintenance. These roles differ from traditional fixed-bottom wind farms and will require focused training and recruitment strategies. As the technology scales, we expect demand to rise quickly and competition for experienced personnel to intensify.
The Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence tracks these emerging needs across the UK market.
Expanding the talent pool
Relying solely on experienced offshore workers is no longer sustainable. The industry must broaden its recruitment base. This includes supporting career changers from adjacent industries, investing in apprenticeships and technical education, and promoting offshore roles to underrepresented groups.
At Intermarine UK, we are already working with partners to support skills conversion and return-to-work pathways, helping to diversify and grow the offshore workforce.
Digital operations
As offshore wind becomes more connected, digital skills will become more important. Remote monitoring, data analytics, drone inspections, and digital twin platforms are reshaping how offshore assets are maintained. Recruitment will need to reflect this by sourcing hybrid talent with both engineering and digital experience.
Long-term workforce planning
With overlapping project schedules and growing capacity targets, long-term workforce planning will become the norm. Many developers are moving towards multi-year workforce agreements to reduce cost, improve consistency, and retain knowledge within their operations. Intermarine UK is ready to support this approach with scalable recruitment frameworks and continuous talent development.
Conclusion
Offshore wind is one of the UK’s fastest-growing energy sectors—but its success depends on building and maintaining a capable, compliant workforce. From skills shortages to safety and legal compliance, the recruitment challenges are significant. Specialist providers like Intermarine UK play a key role in solving these challenges, delivering skilled people who are ready to work in complex, high-risk environments.
If you’re planning an offshore wind project and need a reliable recruitment partner with sector expertise, proven systems, and a strong contractor network, speak to Intermarine UK.
Contact us to learn more about how we can support your offshore workforce.
