Efforts to ensure training for jobs boom

The massive employment boost would be brought about by the creation of the world’s largest off-shore wind farm, about 80 miles off the Yorkshire coast at Dogger Bank.

A separate scheme to create a potash mine between Scarborough and Whitby would also bolster the possibility of bringing in a total of 50,000 jobs between the two industries.

More than 80 representatives from schools, colleges, training providers and further and higher education establishments met in Whitby on Thursday with companies behind the wind farm and potash mine projects.

Officials from the Crown Estate, Forewind, Mainstream Renewable Power, The National Skills Academy for Power and York Potash attended the event.

The council’s employment and skills manager, Matthew Parsons, who organised the event, said: “Both potash mining and renewable energy, particularly off-shore wind, offer the biggest employment and economic opportunities we have seen for a generation. Conservative estimates propose that more than 50,000 jobs will be directly created in these industries, predominantly in the areas of engineering, manufacturing, and the sciences at all levels. If we get it right these jobs will offer well rewarded careers for life.”

The Dogger Bank development, which is expected to include about 2,600 giant turbines each up to 400ft tall, will stretch across an area equivalent to the size of North Yorkshire. The first turbines are due to become operational in 2016.

Exploratory drilling work is continuing in the North York Moors National Park to find the best location for the potash mine, before a planning application is due to be submitted next year.