We hosted a Career Recon session, diving deep into the energy sector. If you missed it, you missed some seriously eye-opening insights about an industry that's desperate for talent and perfectly suited to military veterans.
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Ben sat down with Paul Capindale, Service Projects Lead at Honeywell Building Solutions, and Dave Edwards, ex-Royal Navy and MD of F&H Power Consultants. What emerged was a picture of an industry in crisis - but a crisis that represents one of the biggest opportunities veterans have seen in years.
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Here's what we learned

The Numbers Don't Lie (And They're Shocking)

The energy sector has a brutal maths problem. They need 330,000 new people by 2030. At the same time, a third of their current workforce will be retiring - what Dave calls the "silver tsunami." Meanwhile, the UK is racing toward ambitious targets: 80 gigawatts of wind capacity by 2030 (up from 30), solar increasing from 5 to 47 gigawatts, and new nuclear plants coming online for the first time in decades.
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The gap between demand and supply? As Dave put it: "It will get more desperate. It will definitely get more desperate."

The Industry Is Bigger Than You Think

One of the biggest revelations from our session was just how broad the energy sector really is. When most people think "energy," they picture wind farms and power stations. That's barely scratching the surface.
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Paul works in smart buildings - controlling HVAC, lighting, and building systems that account for 50% of a building's energy spend. He's worked across pharmaceutical plants, hospitals, data centres, car manufacturing, defence facilities, and commercial buildings.

"Every building has to be controlled," Paul explained, "and if it's not, there's a huge impact on energy usage."

Dave's journey took him from Navy stoker to Rolls-Royce power plants to running his own consultancy. His insight? "Whether it's a power and propulsion plant with a gas turbine on a marine vessel, or a land-based power plant - they're all the same prime movers. One's just got water around it."
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The takeaway? The energy sector touches everything, and there are opportunities everywhere you look.

Why Veterans Are Perfect for This Sector

The industry isn't just open to veterans - it's actively seeking them out. And it's not primarily because of technical qualifications.

"Attitude is everything," Dave told us. "I wanted to get to site, fix the problem, and get the plant back up and running. That whole attitude stems from the Navy."

Paul, who's worked with veterans across engineering and leadership roles, consistently sees the same strengths:

"The adaptability, the logical thought process people follow to solve problems, and the way they challenge processes in the right way - it's second nature to people coming from the services."

That’s why organisations like Honeywell are actively hiring people who are 60-70% of the way there and training them up internally. They'd rather invest in someone with the right mindset than wait for the perfect technical candidate.

Progression Isn't Linear (And That's Good News)

Military progression is linear - you know exactly where you'll be if you tick the right boxes. Industry progression? It's messier, but the opportunities are much broader.
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Paul went from tools to team leader to senior leadership, but he's seen others take completely different paths: technical experts moving into sales, BMS engineers shifting to software development, and apprentices becoming UK-level service managers.

"It's quite linear if you want it to be," Paul noted, "but there are all these other branches you can move into."

What really surprised us was the tenure. People stay in energy companies for decades - Paul mentioned meeting someone at Honeywell who'd been there 34 years. When you find good companies with good people, folks tend to stick around.
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[CALLOUT]
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Your Questions, Answered

Our audience had real concerns about breaking into the sector. Here's what our speakers had to say:

"What skills are becoming increasingly valuable that weren't as important 5 years ago?"

Dave was direct: "Look at the jobs they're desperately short of - electrical engineers, construction project managers, health and safety. If you want to be a project manager, be really targeted and specific about the sector - whether that's wind, solar, or nuclear." 
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Paul built on this, referencing the fact that companies are now hiring people who are partially qualified and training them up: "Once you hone in on what you want to do, you can be very targeted in activities to bring you close to that 70-80% threshold" - meaning you can strategically choose which courses, certifications, or experiences to pursue to get yourself qualified enough that companies will invest in filling the remaining gaps.

"What areas would you point non-technical management towards?"

This was a big concern, and Dave's response was revealing: "You can enter with no technical experience when you're operating at senior business level, managing large budgets and people. A ship's captain doesn't need to know marine, weapons, or air engineering - they have HODs for that."
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For entry-level management, Dave suggested starting with lower-complexity areas like solar: "There's a lower amount of hazards on site compared to nuclear or thermal power plants."

"Is it important to specialise or remain a generalist?"

Paul explained that both paths work, but they require different skill focuses: "Progression is quite linear if you want it to be. But there's all these other branches that you can move into. A lot of people are very successful using their technical acumen to get them into the sales arena. People can move into software development if you enter basic BMS - there's such a broad breadth of ICT skills required." 
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He emphasised that being a generalist doesn't mean lacking expertise: "If you're in my world, generalist still comes with technical knowledge. You can progress through various roles and leadership being a generalist, but your skills and capabilities are in people leadership, and we should never discount that as being a very tough skill to learn."
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Dave took a similar view: "I always wanted to know everything from where the fuel came in to getting energy onto the market. For me now as a consultant, I can deliver a load of services - not being an expert in every single one, but having a good understanding of them." This breadth meant that when he reached senior management, he could understand technical issues and make sound business decisions. 
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The takeaway? Both approaches work - specialists can move into sales or advanced technical roles, while generalists often excel in leadership and management positions.

"What sort of roles are you hiring most for at the moment?"

Paul's currently hiring for BMS connected engineers, fire engineers, ICT skills, and operational technology engineers. "From electrical engineers to electricians, right through - there is a gap."
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Dave pointed to the massive build-out required: "To get 80 gigawatts of wind capacity online, there's five years worth of work. Look at Hinkley and check the types of roles EDF are advertising."

"Are there networking events you'd recommend?"

Paul suggested BCIA and Smart Buildings events. Dave recommended Solar & Storage at the NEC: "These are free events. Walk up to someone selling O&M services and ask how you could get into the sector."
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Both emphasised the importance of trade associations - Solar Energy UK, for example, has a huge push to connect different people to the sector.

Proven Entry Strategies

From our conversation, three clear entry strategies emerged:
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For Technical Roles: Follow Dave's route - he started as an operator at Rolls Royce, a role he initially thought was "below him." It wasn't. It was his foot in the door. "You've got to be willing to take one step back to take two steps forward."
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For Management Roles: Consider complexity levels. Dave suggests solar as an "easier access route" - fewer hazards than nuclear or thermal plants, but still legitimate energy sector experience.

For Leadership Positions: Ben’s sister left the army 18 months ago and is now UK & Ireland Service Director for Schneider Electric. She's never been a field service engineer - her strength is operational leadership and people management.

How to Prepare to Move Into The Sector

Dave's advice was consistent throughout: "Network, network, network. Reach out to people in your network and ask for site visits. There are online courses providing sector introductions."

For those without technical backgrounds looking at operations and resilience management, the path is clear:

"You really need to be willing to take on a non-technical junior role and work your way up, unless you go in at a senior level."

The Reality Check

Here's what we learned that might surprise you: the energy sector will become more desperate for talent, not less. The ‘silver tsunami’ isn't slowing down. The build-out requirements are accelerating, as AI and data centers are creating power demands nobody fully anticipated. But Dave and Paul both highighted the same point: this isn't just about filling gaps, Veterans bring something unique to the table.

"It's not all about what companies can offer you," Paul said. "It's about what you guys offer the company. It's quite a unique skill set, and the attributes people can bring bolster us and help change things for the better."

What Happens Next?

The energy sector isn't just looking for people - it's looking for people like you. People who understand that getting the job done matters more than perfect processes. People who can adapt, lead, and solve problems under pressure.

The window of opportunity is wide open right now, but it won't stay that way forever. Other industries are waking up to the veteran advantage. The energy sector's current desperation is your opportunity - but only if you act on it.

As Dave said: "Put yourself in a position to take up those opportunities. It will get more desperate."

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Ready to explore what's possible in the energy sector? Start your energy transition journey with Redeployable's personalised career guidance and position yourself where the demand is greatest. It's completely free.

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