ENERGY giant SSE has warned the industry is facing a skills shortage with around half the sector's workforce expected to retire by 2023.

The firm claims around 208,000 people will need to be recruited to plug the gap and is encouraging companies to take on apprentices to help ensure the industry has the necessary workforce for the future.

Speaking ahead of National Apprentice Week, John Stewart, Human Resources director for SSE, said: "Apprenticeships put young people on track for a first rate career and with around 50 per cent of the sector's workforce set to retire by 2023, there is a need to invest now.

"We're boosting our apprentice numbers by 20 percent, investing £11.68m - an average of £80,000 per trainee - to recruit and train the workforce of the future.

"Research we've carried out tells us for every £1 we spend on our apprenticeship programme the net economic impact on society is £4.29.

"Our apprenticeship programme is open now and we'd urge young people to consider a career in the energy industry and invest in their own future."

Since 2007, SSE has taken on more than 800 apprentices who now help to maintain power lines, work in wind farms, hydro stations and thermal plants, and help to maintain commercial and domestic electrical systems.

SSE apprentice Laura Sneddon said: "I love my job. The apprenticeship can take you anywhere - one day you might be out on a job and the next day you could be planning another, or learning about another part of the business."