New Report Highlights Challenges And Opportunities For Taranaki Energy Workforce

A new national report analysing New Zealand’s energy workforce has highlighted both the scale of change underway in the sector, and the critical role Taranaki will play in shaping the country’s energy future.

The Re-Energise 26 report, released by Energy Resources Aotearoa and the Electricity Engineers’ Association, provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the workforce supporting New Zealand’s entire energy system.

Supported by Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki, the report shows that Taranaki remains one of the country’s key energy regions, accounting for around 14% of the national energy workforce.

Survey data indicates more than 1,700 full-time equivalent roles have been lost in Taranaki between 2022 and 2025 across large energy users, oil and gas, and supporting contractors. As this data reflects only participating organisations, the report notes the total impact across the wider regional workforce is likely to be higher.

This highlights the structural change underway in the energy sector. Declining activity in parts of the traditional energy sector, combined with growth in electrification, investment uncertainty, and delayed project pipelines, were all outlined in the report as key reasons jobs have been impacted.

While much is being done in the region already, there is a growing risk that highly skilled workers will be lost from Taranaki, either moving elsewhere in New Zealand or offshore, before new energy projects and industries are able to absorb them.

The report also identifies workforce shortages nationally, in key roles such as electrical engineers and technical specialists. However, it emphasises that the situation in Taranaki is distinct due to the scale and immediacy of change already underway.

The region has responded in recent years, with growing momentum across industry, education providers, iwi and community organisations working together to support workforce development and transition. This includes initiatives, such as the Taranaki Skills Group, Kia Kotahi Ako, and a recent partnership between Why Ora and Pūhoro (the Pūhoro STEMM Academy), which aims to strengthen pathways into energy and STEMM careers, support interns and graduates, and build capability across schools and communities.

To crystalise the momentum underway, the report calls for a more formalised and coordinated approach to ensure greater impact.

Sheree Long, Director of Workforce Development at Energy Resources Aotearoa, said the report’s Action Plan is arguably the most important component.

"The report outlines a comprehensive Industry Skills Action Plan that gives us a clear pathway forward. It moves us beyond identifying challenges to taking practical, coordinated action across attracting, developing, collaborating and retaining the workforce our energy future depends on."

While Taranaki faces challenges, the report acknowledges the underlying strength of the region - a highly skilled, experienced, and transferable workforce across engineering, technical, and operational roles, which will be critical to delivering future energy developments.

The report notes the number of potential future opportunities for the region, including offshore renewable energy, infrastructure, and emerging energy technologies such as synthetic fuels and biogas, but also notes these are still developing and uncertain in both scale and timing.

Kelvin Wright, Chief Executive of Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki, said the report clearly reinforces the period of change the region is facing.

"The report confirms what we are seeing on the ground. Taranaki has a highly capable energy workforce, but we are in a period where timing is everything. The challenge is ensuring we retain that capability while new opportunities continue to develop. It’s great to see many of our companies already doing this, and to see leadership in our education sector to support this."

Supporting skills transition, improving workforce mobility, and ensuring experienced workers can move between roles and projects as the energy sector evolves will be critical, said Wright.

"This challenge is already being actively addressed through industry-led initiatives like the Taranaki Alliance, which is focused on better connecting capability with opportunity."

The Taranaki Alliance, initiated by Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki and co-designed by industry, unites local engineering, manufacturing, and specialist service firms to compete collectively for large-scale, complex industrial contracts at a global scale, some of which sit outside of energy.

"Taranaki has the depth of capability to support large scale industrial and infrastructure projects in a range of markets and sectors nationally and internationally, as well as complex energy projects. The focus now is on industry collaboration to create scale combined with targeted outreach, connecting that capability to opportunity."

About the Re-Energise 26 report

Energy Resources Aotearoa and the Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA) have collaborated to research, develop, and publish Re-Energise 26. The report brings together evidence, insight, and practical experience from across the electricity and energy sector.

You can access the full Re-Energise 26 report here (https://eea.co.nz/what-we-do/projects/re-energise-2026/), along with a summary document, and Industry Skills Action (ISAP).

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