The government is set to expand its package of green skills programmes for adults to support the creation of 2 million skilled green jobs by 2030, the Department for Education has announced.
The announcement comes as the independent Green Jobs Taskforce publishes its report. which includes 15 recommendations on how every job has the potential to become green.
A joint statement by the DfE and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy says the government is committing to supporting workers as the economy transitions to a low carbon future with a package of green skills programmes, helping adults of all ages to gain the skills needed to progress into green jobs.
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Minister for apprenticeships and skills and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce Gillian Keegan said: “We are focused on delivering the talent pipeline businesses need for green jobs now and in the future. From skills boot camps to apprenticeships, our skills programmes will ensure people are able to acquire the skills needed for the growing green economy.
“We welcome the taskforce’s findings, which will help us to drive forward our ambitious green skills revolution, supporting more people of all backgrounds to get the skills they need to build great careers and help us reach our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”
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The skills programmes include green apprenticeships - including nuclear desk engineers, wind turbine maintenance, operations engineering technicians, research scientists and environmental practitioners. In March this year, a green apprenticeships advisory panel was launched to advise the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education on opportunities to make existing apprenticeships greener and identify new apprenticeships in emerging green occupations.
Green skills boot camps will also deliver free, flexible training courses of up to 16 weeks for adults. Areas of training will include green home retrofit management, solar energy installation, sustainable agriculture, nuclear energy deployment and green transport.
The government has launched an emerging skills electrification project, which aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge skills in electrification technologies, such as battery-powered motors and drives, electric vehicle systems and software, battery maintenance, and recycling. The project will fund the development of short courses, teacher training support and free access to upskilling days for adults in the latest electrification technologies.
All of these initiatives are in addition to the lifetime skills guarantee, which gives access to level 3 qualifications for adults who do not already hold any.
The UK’s energy and climate change minister and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “As we lead the world in tackling climate change, we need to invest in the UK’s most important asset - its workforce - so that our people have the right skills to deliver a green industrial revolution and thrive in the jobs it will create.
“That’s why today we have welcomed the recommendations put forward by the Green Jobs Taskforce, which are a big step forward in delivering the skilled workers and green jobs essential for the UK’s transition to net zero.
“Its report, alongside our ambitious skills programmes, will be invaluable to us as we build a pathway into green careers for people from all backgrounds and ensuring that workers and communities dependent on the high-carbon economy are supported as we build back greener into a cleaner future.”
Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, said: “We have worked closely with the Green Jobs Taskforce and welcome their findings which point the way towards a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future. Our new Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel will play an important role to ensure that the right high-quality, employer-led training programmes are in place, preparing millions of people for exciting jobs that will support the drive to net zero. We will work closely with departments across government to help ensure that this vision becomes reality.”
Stephen Evans, chief executive of the Learning and Work Institute, said: “The transition to net zero will have major implications for our labour market and has potential to both create new jobs and change existing jobs. The government is right to say this will require a joined up approach, an expansion of learning opportunities, and a push to ensure the content of learning reflects green skills.
“But the net zero revolution requires a green jobs ambition to match. That means ongoing work with employers to understand skills needs as they change, improving support to retrain into new growing sectors, and ensuring clear labour market information on real local green job opportunities so people can make informed choices. We need greater action to make this a reality, and this is an area our New Futures programme is exploring.”
