Jobs boost at Ampair, but small wind firm warns of skills shortage

Ampair is creating positions for electronics and mechanical engineer apprentices as well as for graduates in sales, project management and marketing. But Ampair’s production manager Quentin Kelly-Edwards admitted the company was finding it hard to find the right candidates. 

 
"As an exporter, Ampair cannot ignore this if we are to continue to be internationally competitive. We provide outstanding opportunities for our staff, but we are finding hard to locate the right kind of candidate whether sourced through agencies or directly," he said. 

Ampair is taking on new staff after seeing strong demand from abroad for its renewable energy-based products. The company designs and produces 100 watt to six kilowatt (kW) wind turbines, as well as hydro-electric turbines for water mills and a range of container-sized hybrid wind and solar based power systems that are designed to replace diesel generators. The company is aiming to become the world leader in small wind systems following a £1.5 million injection of capital in 2010. 

"We started 2010 with seven staff, we now have 20 at the end of 2011 including the two apprentices who have just started, and we are looking to hire another eight early in 2012. Almost all of this growth is attributable to our export markets which represent two-thirds of our business, " David Sharman, Ampair’s managing director said. 

Ampair’s struggle to fill positions is backed up by a report published in the summer by the trade body RenewableUK and gas and power sector skills council Energy & Utility Skills. It estimates more than 88,000 jobs could be created in wind, wave and tidal over the next decade, but that the UK skills system is currently failing the sector. 

In October, the Government announced it was jointly funding with business a £1. 2 million training network to address the growing skills shortages in the renewable energy sector.