How to Support Employees Through the Green Energy Transition

Around half of employees in fossil fuel sectors risk redundancy this decade, yet they have the skills that the green energy sector needs. With just a month of additional training, over a million workers could swap from fossil fuel heating to heat pumps and an additional 4 million workers could swap from working on internal combustion engine manufacturing to electronic vehicles. Most of this training can be done on the job, too. And this in-work training might just be key to the industry’s future success.

Fossil fuel jobs are estimated to decline by 2.5 million worldwide by 2030 (in fact, as we were writing this post, BP announced it was cutting 4,700 jobs), but 8 million jobs will be created in the clean energy sector in that time.

With the number of people pursuing relevant qualifications in these areas declining, on-the-job training – along with an industry rebrand to show employees just how innovative and creative the energy and utilities sector is – might be the answer to supporting the industry growth.

It’s also vital that businesses provide the right support for progression and succession planning to ensure that everyone gets access to the learning and development to help them progress. This ensures their crucial knowledge stays within the industry.

Of course, adjusting to changing times can be difficult. This is another reason why companies need to provide employees with the right support – to point them in the right direction for their future career, even if their existing one is made redundant or replaced by AI.

Solutions to support employees through the green energy transition

So how do you support employees during this pivotal time in the industry?

Coaching 

Coaching can play a key role in supporting employees’ growing learning and development. It can teach them new technical skills, as well as the soft skills that create a better work environment for everyone, such as communication and empathy. These are skills that can always be grown and developed, regardless of how long someone has been in the workplace. There are always new challenges to face and new ways to solve problems that can be supported by working with an external, objective coach.

When employees share problems with internal coaches, they may worry that their concerns will get back to management and they may suffer repercussions. As a result, they may not share their workplace challenges so won’t get as much out of the program.

Sanctus Coaching offers a democratised coaching solution. Employees can pick the coach they want to work with based on their credentials and book an appointment using our booking platform.

Our coaches are available for one-off, drop-in coaching sessions, which are great to focus on one particular area, or more structured programs to work through redundancy at work (whether they’re leaving or staying), leadership development, and much more.

Employee listening

One of the most effective ways to support employees is to listen to them. Providing them with an always-on, externally monitored listening platform allows them to feel heard and valued by their employer.

Sanctus Listening, powered by Rungway, is that safe place. Our moderators can share questions with the right people, ensuring employees’ concerns get addressed as quickly as possible. Employees can ask questions anonymously or with their name attached, meaning they don’t have to worry about feeling embarrassed or self-conscious when they ask a “stupid” question.

Mentoring

Connecting employees with someone further ahead in their career can provide them with the support they need to grow in their roles.

A formal mentoring program means the people who want or need help can get it, and ensures they ask for help from the people who are available to support them. Many employees may feel too shy to ask someone to mentor them, or not want to encroach on a busy executive’s time.

A formal mentoring program clearly shows who wants to commit to mentoring and who wants to be a mentee, making the program more enticing and welcoming for everyone, even your quieter employees.

As well as connecting mentors and mentees, a formal mentoring program – and app – can help them organize their meetings and track their progress. That way, you and your employees know you’re getting something out of the program and can see the real results that come from it.

Mentoring is key to knowledge sharing and succession planning. It can support employees as they prepare for new roles, easing them and their employees into the transition so that when the time arises, they’re ready to step up.

Mentoring can bridge the gap between different generations of colleagues, sharing Gen Z’s technological knowledge with older generations’ workplace experience. This connection can lead to greater innovation and a more harmonious work environment.

Conclusion 

To get the most from employees during these exciting times, working with external learning and development providers not only improves your employer brand by showing that you take continuous learning seriously, but it also retains your existing employees and all their vital internal knowledge.

We can create a bespoke, scalable coaching, mentoring, and listening package for your business. Whether you want one-to-one coaching, group workshops, a more organised mentoring program, or a platform where employees can share their thoughts – or all of the above – we’ve got something for you. Get in touch today to find out more.