New research from Learning and Work Institute, commissioned by NOCN Group, finds that across the board, the number of people being trained in green skills and jobs is rising. Increased demand for these skills is accelerating, with related government strategies in place. However, current training uptake, qualification pathways and workforce readiness fall short of what’s required to reach net zero.
Public appetite for jobs and skills that can support the net zero transition is also mixed. Most people have not heard of green skills, and most people do not want to work in sectors key to decarbonisation. Those who already work in these sectors are more likely to say they lack green skills than possess them, and a sizeable minority of these existing workers do not want to gain them. Those who do have an appetite to work in these sectors would favour training routes that do not match industry need.
Achieving net zero by 2050 would involve insulating millions of homes, manufacturing and deploying clean energy infrastructure, and building and servicing electric vehicles. All this will require people to possess the right skills, hold the right jobs, and live in the right regions, all at the right time. This report assesses progress by focusing on construction, clean energy, and low-carbon transport, three sectors that are mission-critical to decarbonisation.
The report argues that accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero will involve boosting technical and vocational education, scaling enrolments in training pathways, and more effective data gathering on how job volumes are matching up to demand. It will also require industries critical to the green transition to attract career starters and career changers and invest more in the skills of their existing workers.
