Hayley Williams is Curriculum Development Manager at Pembrokeshire College. She has worked alongside the marine energy sector for more than eight years.
Her role acts as a bridge between industry and college, helping prepare learners to enter the future workforce.
In 2025, Hayley was presented with MEW’s Ysbryd y Môr award for her outstanding contribution to the sector.
Tell us about your current role and your connection to the Welsh marine energy sector, what led you to where you are today?
I essentially work as a bridge between industry and the college, looking at the current and future skills gaps, and awareness around future career pathways. I also design and develop various projects such as Destination Renewables, the Maritime Pre-Cadetship and the SPARC Alliance.
My background is in publishing and advertising in London, the complete opposite really to working in marine renewables in Pembrokeshire, and I’ve never known an industry to pull together as much as the Welsh marine energy sector does. It really does feel like everyone is working towards the same common goal.
Looking back over the last 10 years of the sector, what do you think has changed the most?
Ten years ago, if you’d said the word renewables or talked about net zero, I don’t think our students would have really understood what you were referring to. These days, we’re all familiar with it. I think in terms of the growth of the sector and understanding what it represents in terms of bringing household bills down and fighting climate change, everybody now understands much more clearly. However, our job is to spotlight the sector and sell the career pathways, and we don’t have any visible projects in Wales yet, and that’s an issue.
There have, of course, been plenty of challenges during that time, but for me the biggest change has been a growing confidence that marine energy is no longer just a future opportunity; it is becoming a genuine part of the energy mix, even though progress in south west Wales is slow right now.
Has there been a moment in the last decade that made you stop and think, “this industry is actually happening?”
Blue Gem Wind was one of the first companies we ever worked with, and when we had the announcement that they’d received a CfD earlier this year, that was a real moment. As a test and development site, it will have a massive impact on what we’re trying to do at the college, because it will show our youngsters that these projects are coming.
Securing that CfD was also the point I realised there’s a good chance I’ll see turbines in the Celtic Sea before I retire, which is exciting.
In your opinion, what’s still holding the marine energy sector back today and what are the biggest challenges it still faces?
I think lack of visibility is the biggest problem right now. Young people want to see evidence of jobs, and that’s the biggest challenge we’re dealing with.
As someone working on the periphery of the industry, I also think the biggest challenges tend to be the things nobody can predict or control. The economy, changes in government policy and global events all have a knock-on effect on investment and confidence in major projects, and this in turn will have an impact on the direction of the College’s estate plan and curriculum offer.
“Marine Energy Wales provides something every growing sector needs – it gives people the sense that they’re part of something bigger.”
What role has Marine Energy Wales played in your own career or organisation and for the wider industry?
Marine Energy Wales has played a pivotal role in terms of our understanding of the sector. The annual MEW conference is of course a networking opportunity, but it’s also a lot more than that. It’s because of those conferences we’ve managed to establish such strong partnerships, and friendships. Without those networking platforms, I don’t know how successful we might have been, especially when it comes to programmes such as Destination Renewables and SPARC. Networking is so, so valuable, and MEW provides a professional platform for meaningful connections to happen!
Personally, I was delighted to receive MEW’s Ysbryd y Môr award in 2025. It’s very valuable to me and I think it’s one of the biggest achievements of my career.
I think Marine Energy Wales provides something that every growing sector needs—it gives people a sense that they’re part of something bigger.
It does a fantastic job of bringing people together, celebrating success and creating opportunities to collaborate. But it’s also there when things are more challenging, helping to keep momentum going and reminding everyone why they’re doing this in the first place.
For me, it really is an anchor for the sector. Without it, I think the industry would be much less connected and a lot of opportunities and partnerships simply couldn’t have happened.
if someone reads this article in 2036, what do you hope they’ll say about what the sector has achieved? What are your hopes for the next 10 years?
Well, I’ll be retired for starters! I hope I’ll be reading and seeing evidence of the last ten years, and feeling very proud that despite the obstacles, these energy companies are on the way to creating this new sector. This next decade will be the one where marine energy moves from potential to reality, and I’m proud to have been a part of it!