Page 18 - Neath Port Talbot Skills Report 2024

Transport
Leading the switch to net zero industry: new £20 million facility to help
develop a green economy in Wales - Swansea University
Lightcast™
. 2023
DARE - The Neath Port Talbot Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy
Strategy – Neath Port Talbot Council (npt.gov.uk)
Public Transport
With the trial of hydrogen buses currently taking
place in the county, if deemed a success, then other
types of transportation may follow suit in utilising this
technology. (Food production and farming are also a
long way down the line to adopting hydrogen and
(or) methane powered farm machinery.) Therefore,
skills in this technology will be vital.
The concern here is that bus drivers and public
transport operators are some of the most difficult to
recruit roles in the county with bus driver roles being
advertised up to 5 times before they are filled
The new Global Centre for Rail Excellence is also
getting closer to establishment, together with the
new Metro implementation coming shortly.
As part of the DARE action plan, Taxi licencing is
being reviewed to encourage a switch to EV’s,
creating urgency for EV charge points throughout the
county
Distribution
With a strong manufacturing base, distribution is key.
Many industries and the local authorities are
switching to electric vans and fleets and soon we may
start to see increased numbers of hydrogen powered
HGV’s.
Delivery drivers and couriers are among the most
saturated of job postings in this sector with job
posting intensity rapidly accelerating since 2021.
Shipping Maritime / Import Export
This is not an area usually considered within the
transport industry, but it will play a vital role for NPT
shipping and exports.
• Offshore wind
• Freeport (Import Export of materials)
• CCU and CO2 Export
• Hydrogen import
When looking at the SWIC decarbonisation plan
coupled with the Celtic sea FLOW plans and freeport
status, shipping activity could potentially be amplified
over the coming years.
Across all modes – road, rail, air, and sea – new
technologies and data systems are being developed
and integrated to drive remarkable outcomes. This is
being driven by the consumer need for data-enriched
services to make informed decisions, the urgency to
decarbonise and the push to remain competitive as
digital transformation sweeps our economy at a
staggering pace.
Transport faces a significant skills challenge, and the
opportunities will not be realised unless we have
enough engineers, data scientists, developers, and
technologists to make this change
Job postings for Transport roles NPT trend
Job postings skill
requirements vs
Workforce Profiles
Figure 2 displays vehicle maintenance skills are
lacking in job profiles already and with
switches to EV and hydrogen this could
potentially get worse
Figure 1
Figure 2
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