There are around 1,900 employers in the region which comprise 10% of the sector’s employers in Great Britain.  68% of employers employ fewer than 10 people, which is much lower than the regional figure of 85%.  Employment levels in the region are expected to decline over the next 10 years.

Within the region there are clusters of the chemical and polymer industries, but oil and gas, nuclear and refining are also significant in the region. There are over 2,000 jobs in oil and gas in the region and 10,000 jobs indirectly dependent upon the industry. Sector activity is focused in Norfolk at Bacton with the gas terminal, with Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth providing onshore support for the Southern North Sea gas fields.  In addition, over 1,200 people are employed at Sizewell A and B nuclear power stations.

Using data from the Labour Force Survey for the region’s workforce profile follows:

• 52% of the workforce is aged 25-44 years, compared to 47% regionally
• 40% of the workforce is over 45 years, compared to 38% regionally
• 69% of the sector workforce is male, compared to 54% regionally
• 94% of the workforce is white, compared to 96% regionally
• the proportion of the workforce with higher level qualifications (53%) compared to 49% of the region’s economy

In the East of England energy sector, 5% of the workforce is under 25 years.

In the region, over 50% of employers in the sector reported hard-to-fill vacancies, specifically for: control and instrument engineers and technicians; electrical and electricity generation engineers and technicians; plus mechanical and electrical fitters. Attracting and retaining a younger workforce are thought to be key to addressing these vacancies.

Four out of 5 employers reported skills gaps within their workforce with 2 in 5 reporting skills gaps for specific occupational groups. The skills lacking included: fault finding/diagnostic; IT; job specific skills (relating to surveying in oil and gas); plus supervisory and management skills (relating to contract and project management).

The proportion of women working in the sector is expected to increase by 8.2% over the next 10 years. Lower level occupations are projected to decline by an estimated 6% over the same period. Total requirement in the region’s sector is forecast to be 7,000 people, which is comparable to other regions.

Source: Cogent Sector Skill Needs Assessment 2006 and IFF Research 2005

For more detail on the energy sector in the East of England see the 2005 IFF Research Ltd. research report.