The Growing Demand for Specialist Cable Talent

The cables sector is becoming an increasingly important part of the global energy and infrastructure landscape.

Investment in offshore wind, electricity grid upgrades, subsea transmission and digital infrastructure is creating demand for specialist cable expertise across multiple markets. At the same time, growing requirements for high-voltage power transmission and fibre-optic connectivity are creating new opportunities for professionals with the technical skills needed to deliver these projects.

As investment continues across these areas, access to people with the right specialist experience is becoming increasingly important for the businesses delivering these projects.

At Select, our Cables team supports clients and contractors across this evolving sector, providing specialist personnel for cable installation, testing, termination, jointing, engineering and project delivery.

With a renewed focus on our Cables division, we’re taking the opportunity to introduce the team behind this work and share some of the trends we’re seeing across the market.

A Growing and Increasingly Critical Sector

Cable infrastructure has traditionally been a specialist area within the wider maritime, offshore and energy industries. Today, it sits at the centre of several major infrastructure developments taking place around the world.

Offshore wind is one of the key drivers. As offshore wind capacity expands, so does the requirement for export and inter-array cables, alongside the specialist personnel needed to install, test, commission and maintain them.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects around 140 GW of offshore wind capacity expansion globally between 2025 and 2030, highlighting the scale of infrastructure required to support the sector's continued growth.

Grid investment is another major source of demand. As renewable generation expands, electricity needs to be transmitted over greater distances, increasing the importance of high-voltage and HVDC infrastructure.

The workforce required to deliver this infrastructure is also significant. The IEA estimates that around 8 million people currently work in constructing, maintaining and operating electricity grids globally, with at least another 1.5 million workers needed by 2030 under current policy settings.

There is also a growing connection between the cables sector and digital infrastructure.

Submarine fibre-optic cables carry more than 99% of international data flows, making them critical infrastructure for the global digital economy. Continued growth in data centres, cloud computing and AI is driving further investment in the connectivity that supports them.

For the cables industry, demand is therefore being shaped by several long-term trends at the same time.

Specialist Skills Across the Project Lifecycle

Our Cables team works across a range of specialist disciplines, supporting projects from installation through to testing, commissioning and engineering.

Josh Whitson focuses on onshore and offshore cable and project crew recruitment across EMEA. His work includes sourcing and mobilising HV jointers, project engineers and cable rigging personnel.

This can involve supporting rigging teams involved in cable installation, HV jointers responsible for testing, terminating and jointing cables, and project engineers overseeing the technical and operational delivery of projects.

Reno Grima has a background in offshore and subsea recruitment, with a particular focus on HV and fibre-optic cable personnel across APAC.

His work includes supporting projects with specialist personnel such as cable jointers, termination and testing technicians, working closely with clients and candidates from selection through to mobilisation.

Together, Josh and Reno bring experience across different markets and areas of cable project delivery, helping clients access specialist personnel where the right technical experience is critical.

Supporting Cable Projects

At Select, we provide a range of recruitment and project support solutions to meet the needs of cable projects and the businesses delivering them.

Contract Recruitment

We provide flexible contract recruitment solutions, supplying specialist professionals for short and long-term assignments across offshore, maritime, onshore energy and infrastructure projects.

This includes freelance, temporary and project-based engagements, supported by end-to-end mobilisation, logistics, equipment coordination, compliance management, onboarding and travel solutions.

Permanent Recruitment

We deliver permanent recruitment services focused on identifying and securing high-calibre professionals for critical business functions, helping clients build long-term capability through targeted talent acquisition and strategic hiring.

Cable Client Representative SOW

For projects requiring dedicated oversight, we can also provide experienced Cable Client Representatives to oversee offshore cable installation activities on behalf of the client.

This support is focused on ensuring the safe, compliant and efficient execution of cable installation works, providing clients with experienced personnel on the ground throughout project delivery.

Understanding the People Behind the Project

For Josh and Reno, recruitment is about more than matching a CV to a job description.

Cable projects can involve highly specialised roles, demanding working environments and complex mobilisation requirements. Understanding an individual’s experience, availability, preferences and career goals is therefore an important part of finding the right fit.

That relationship also continues beyond the initial placement.

As Reno explains:

“Strong candidate relationships are at the heart of how I work. Taking the time to understand people and their experience helps us build teams that clients can rely on and find opportunities that suit our contractors.”

Josh takes a similar approach, focusing on building long-term relationships with both candidates and clients.

“Ultimately, building strong and lasting relationships with both candidates and clients is at the heart of how I work. I believe in taking the time to understand each person's experience, ambitions, and requirements, enabling me to provide a tailored and consultative approach.”

For specialist sectors such as cables, that understanding can make a significant difference. The right person needs to have the relevant technical experience, but they also need to be suited to the project, location and working environment.

Supporting a Global Cable Market

The cables market is increasingly global, with projects and opportunities developing across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and beyond.

For the Select team, this means understanding more than individual roles. It means keeping up with the projects driving demand, the skills required to deliver them and the markets where specialist talent is available.

Our Cables team supports clients across EMEA and APAC, helping connect experienced professionals with projects that require specialist cable expertise.

As investment continues across offshore wind, grid infrastructure, subsea transmission and digital connectivity, access to skilled cable professionals will remain an important consideration for businesses delivering these projects.

Whether you’re looking for experienced cable professionals for an upcoming project or considering your next opportunity within the sector, our team can help.

Looking to strengthen your cable workforce or explore your next opportunity? Get in touch with the Select Cables team.