At SIAS, we believe the journey to net zero starts with skills. That’s why we’re committed to developing qualifications, and wider awarding solutions, that are rigorous, agile, and which perfectly align to the future skills needs required for rapidly transitioning global STEM industries.
We caught up with Lindsay Price, Head of Commercial, to talk about SIAS’s commitment to supporting the hydrogen industry and our recently launched L2 Award in the Introduction to Hydrogen Safety – the first regulated qualification in the UK aligned to the Hydrogen Skills Framework.
A growing industry needs new skills
The Hydrogen industry is a rapidly evolving sector with the potential for this green energy source being rapidly harnessed. This therefore requires an agile and qualified workforce to respond quickly and safely to the new skills that this energy source demands. The upskilling and redeploying of workers currently in complementary industries is the key to efficiently convert to working with Hydrogen from traditional energy sources.
Leading with the first Hydrogen Qualification
SIAS are the first Awarding Organisation to develop provision aligned to the Hydrogen Skills Framework, published by the Hydrogen Skills Alliance. This Framework has been developed by industry experts and regulators to identify exactly what skills will be required for the future workforce in this vital industry. The SIAS Level 2 Introduction to Hydrogen Safety is the first qualification in the Hydrogen suite to be launched. This Ofqual regulated qualification is designed for both technical and non-technical staff, and supports workforce development by providing individuals with the foundational knowledge needed for safe and compliant hydrogen operations, contributing to the transition to a low-carbon economy.
What’s coming next
The next step in the SIAS development phase will be a large suite of modular qualifications aimed both to cover the occupations across the Hydrogen value chain, and then the job roles within those occupations. This approach will provide role and occupation-specific regulated qualifications, to allow Providers and Employers to deliver exactly what their workforce requires.
Working together for a skilled sector
There are many stakeholders which make up the eco-system of Hydrogen training, from the Employer themselves, to regulators, Combined Authorities, advisory groups, training providers, and the landscape can be uncertain when it comes to understanding what skills are required and what content should be delivered. SIAS is committed to working in partnership with industry to create the qualifications which will give stakeholders exactly what they need for the Hydrogen workforce, and will ensure consistency and quality across the sector.
If you are interested in discussing our Hydrogen qualifications further, please contact us at partnerships@siasuk.com
