Meeting the Challenge: Attracting and retaining future energy leaders

Key findings

• Retention in the sector is strong – and apprentices are even more committed. A large majority of YEPs say they are very likely to stay in the industry for at least five years. Apprentices are almost 20% more likely than non-apprentices to say they are very likely to stay.
• Climate change is the dominant motivator – but varies sharply by group. Climate-motivated YEPs are ~40% less likely to want to leave the industry within five years.
• The biggest barrier to entering the sector is simply knowing what jobs exist. Regional and demographic differences are significant, particularly for those outside of London.
• YEPs identified technical, strategic and communication skills as most important for their careers. The skills they feel they are missing include leadership, confidence and energy system knowledge, all emerging as the most common gaps.
• Apprenticeships are highly effective – yet under-considered. 61% of YEPs never considered an apprenticeship (83% in London), yet apprenticeships deliver outstanding outcomes. 88% of apprentices stayed on the same career path and gave an 8.2/10 usefulness rating of their apprenticeship for their long-term career.
• Energy sector apprentices want clearer structure, communication and progression support. Technical apprentices in particular are 75% more likely to cite communication gaps, and female apprentices are about a third more likely to cite structural issues.