Gendered occupational ecosystems: the case of wind turbine technicians

Women and men are not necessarily benefiting equally from the shift to a greener, cleaner economy. Despite intensified policy pledges to tackle occupational gender segregation, emerging evidence reveals that many new green occupations and the education/training pathways into them are male-dominated. Our developmental paper presents the findings from an in-depth occupational case study of wind turbine technicians in Scotland. Drawing on primary empirical data from 60 semi-structured interviews, we examine issues around supply, demand, development and deployment (informed by the concept of ‘skill ecosystems’) to generate a deep and nuanced understanding of what is going on. As well as adding to academic understanding of occupational segregation in new green occupations, this research has much potential to inform policy and practice.