Green Ambitions need Investment in Skills

The UK’s transition to net zero depends on the people who will deliver it. Every home made more energy efficient, every wind turbine installed and every electric vehicle maintained requires someone with the skills to do the job.

Workforce development must therefore be part of our planning from the outset. Investment in technology and infrastructure needs to be matched by investment in people.

That is why NOCN Group commissioned Learning and Work Institute to examine demand for green skills, the training available and people’s appetite for working in construction, clean energy and low-carbon transport.

The findings show encouraging progress, alongside a clear need to do more. Training is growing in areas such as heat pumps, solar power and electric vehicle servicing. But progress is uneven, and some routes into the jobs we will need remain underdeveloped.

We need to bring skills planning much closer to the decisions being made about investment and delivery. Training a workforce takes time. Employers and providers need the confidence to prepare ahead of demand, rather than respond when shortages are already holding projects back.

Make the opportunity clear

We also need to think carefully about how we engage people.

The research shows that understanding of “green skills” remains limited. Yet the work behind that term is often familiar: electricians, heating engineers, builders and vehicle technicians adapting their skills as technology changes.

We should explain what these changes mean for people’s careers. What work is available? What training will they need? How can they get started, or build on the experience they already have?

Young people’s interest in these sectors is encouraging. We need to turn that interest into accessible routes through apprenticeships and technical education, with a clear connection to employment.

Existing workers need equal attention. Many will deliver the transition through jobs they already do. Helping them develop new skills is essential to both their future prospects and the businesses that employ them.

Put employers at the heart of learning

One of the clearest messages from the research is that people want to learn through work.

That gives employers a central role, supported by strong partnerships with colleges, training providers and awarding organisations. Training needs to reflect the work being done and be practical for people to access alongside their existing responsibilities.

Employers also need support to invest. The report’s proposals for collective investment in skills and a Skills Tax Credit deserve serious consideration. We need arrangements that help businesses develop their workforce and respond to changing demand.

Better information matters too. A more consistent picture of skills needs would help national and local partners plan provision with greater confidence and direct resources where they can make the greatest difference.

Build on the progress already made

As an education and skills charity, NOCN Group has a part to play in connecting industry needs with relevant qualifications and training. Our work with employers and providers must help people enter these sectors, develop their competence and continue learning as their roles change.

The research gives us a stronger basis for that work. It also reminds us that progress is possible when demand, funding and training provision are aligned.

The opportunity is substantial: better jobs, stronger businesses and communities that benefit from investment in a lower-carbon economy. Realising it requires sustained attention to the people who will make it happen.

Whenever we plan a new project or invest in new technology, we should be asking the same question: how will we develop the workforce to deliver it?

By Graham Hasting-Evans, Chief Executive, NOCN Group