Minister at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD and Minister of State with special responsibility for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, Marian Harkin T.D., today announced the launch of a new career chart for the Offshore Wind and wider Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) sector. This new resource was developed to raise awareness of emerging career opportunities and skills needs, reflecting Ireland’s growing ambition in offshore renewables.
The ORE Chart will support learners in exploring learning and career pathways within the growing offshore renewable energy sector. It will be included in the Skills Box, a national initiative developed by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) to help students, jobseekers, and career changers better understand the wide range of pathways available through Further Education and Training (FET) and beyond.
Minister Harkin said:
“We need to gear up now for a net-zero future, and it is vital that people have the skills they need to participate in and benefit from the green transition.
This new ORE career chart forms part of a wider suite of awareness raising initiatives. It invites people across the country to be part of Ireland’s net-zero future and it steps up efforts to help realise Ireland’s offshore renewable energy potential.
There are endless entry points to careers in offshore renewable energy. Our tertiary education system caters for all with flexible learning pathways offering real opportunities for career progression at every stage in life.’’
Minister Lawless said:
“The ORE Chart initiative represents a key outcome of the intensified programme of work underway since my Department published the Offshore Wind Skills Action Plan 2024. It highlights the strength of collaboration between government, industry, state agencies, and education and training providers in building the skills pipeline needed to support Ireland’s offshore renewable energy ambitions. Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate a clear commitment to developing a skilled, future‑ready workforce capable of harnessing some of the world’s best offshore wind resources.”
Ireland has set ambitious offshore wind energy targets, with a 5 GW near‑term goal to be delivered through five Phase One projects (3.8 GW) and the Tonn Nua offshore windfarm (0.9 GW), expected to be in construction by 2030, 20 GW by 2040, and 37 GW by 2050, as part of its climate and energy commitments. Achieving these ambitions will require a substantial expansion of Ireland’s skilled workforce.
The Offshore Wind Skills Action Plan 2024 set out a clear framework of actions to develop a future‑ready workforce. Implementation of the Plan has progressed strongly throughout 2025, reflecting both the scale of national ambition in offshore wind and the central role that skills development plays in enabling timely and successful delivery.
