CASE STUDY
Training-to-Employment Workforce Initiative
OVERVIEW
A cross-industry workforce initiative was launched to improve access to training and developed to create clearer pathways from training into employment across the global energy industry.
The programme brought together Energy Job Search, NES Fircroft and Global Energy Skills (GES) alongside training providers and accreditation organisations to better align training opportunities with workforce demand.
The initiative originally aimed to make discounted industry training available to the audiences of Energy Job Search and NES Fircroft, helping professionals access the qualifications required to enter or transition within the energy sector.
However, through industry research and collaboration with training partners, it became clear that a broader challenge existed: there was no aligned industry solution connecting candidates, training providers, recruiters and employers into a structured pathway from training into employment.
The initiative therefore evolved into a wider workforce programme designed to address these gaps through research, partnerships and sponsored training opportunities.
THE CHALLENGE
Energy companies continue to face persistent skills shortages across technical and specialist roles, while many professionals struggle to access the training required to enter the industry.
Common barriers include:
High costs of accredited training programmes
Limited visibility of available training opportunities
Uncertainty around career outcomes after completing training
Weak alignment between training providers and employer hiring needs
While training providers, recruiters and employers operate within the same ecosystem, they often function independently rather than through coordinated workforce programmes.
The initiative therefore sought to better understand candidate barriers to training and explore how the industry could develop clearer training-to-employment pathways.
THE SOLUTION
The initiative combined industry research, training partnerships and workforce programmes to build a collaborative training ecosystem.
Dedicated landing pages developed by Energy Job Search and NES Fircroft enabled candidates to:
Participate in the workforce research survey
Access discounts to training courses
Apply for sponsored training and potential employment opportunities
Training Sponsorship Programme
Candidates were screened through the application process and shortlisted for participation in the training sponsorship programme.
This created a structured pathway linking:
Industry Research
Training Access
Sponsored Seats
Potential Employment Opportunities
Training Ecosystem Development
Working alongside Global Energy Skills (GES), a network of accredited training providers was brought together to offer discounted training opportunities through a central platform.
The initiative also engaged accreditation bodies and industry partners to increase awareness of available training pathways and workforce development opportunities.
Through collaboration with training partners, the programme expanded to include sponsored training seats, allowing selected candidates to access fully funded courses, along with the potential after course completion being aligned and hired into employment
Industry Research
A global candidate survey was launched through the audiences of Energy Job Search and NES Fircroft to understand motivations, barriers and perceptions surrounding industry training.
The survey generated 10,000+ responses from energy professionals worldwide, creating one of the largest datasets examining workforce training challenges within the industry.
The findings were analysed and published in a comprehensive industry white paper, featuring commentary from recruitment platforms, training providers and accreditation organisations.
IMPLEMENTATION
The initiative was delivered through coordinated collaboration between recruitment platforms, training providers and industry partners.
Key implementation steps included:
Launching dedicated initiative landing pages through Energy Job Search and NES Fircroft to collect candidate data and manage programme applications.
Distributing the global workforce training survey across the audiences of both platforms.
Building partnerships with accredited training providers through Global Energy Skills (GES) to make discounted courses available.
Engaging accreditation organisations and training partners to contribute commentary and insight to the industry white paper.
Establishing a training sponsorship programme where selected candidates could access fully funded training courses.
Screening candidate applications and identifying suitable participants for the sponsorship initiative.
This implementation created a structured pathway connecting workforce research, training access and potential employment opportunities.
OUTCOME
The initiative generated strong engagement across the global energy workforce community and helped establish a collaborative framework linking training and employment.
Key outcomes include:
10,000+ candidate survey responses informing workforce research
500+ applications for sponsored training opportunities
Launch of the Global Energy Training Sponsorship Initiative
Partnerships established with training providers and accreditation organisations
Publication of a comprehensive industry white paper analysing training and workforce alignment
The initiative continues to evolve with the aim of expanding employer participation, increasing training sponsorship opportunities and developing further workforce research focused on workforce development and talent pipelines.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
This case study demonstrates how training-to-employment initiatives can: