• UK Government publishes first ever national plan to recruit workers needed for clean energy mission, with over 25,000 extra clean energy jobs in the North West alone by 2030.
• 31 priority occupations such as plumbers, electricians and welders are particularly in demand.
• Five new clean energy Technical Excellence Colleges to train next generation of workers, as part of government’s drive for two-thirds of young people to be in higher-level learning.
• Energy Secretary to set out measures ensuring companies receiving public grants  and contracts need to deliver good jobs across the clean energy sector.

A generation of young people in the North West  will benefit from clean energy jobs, under plans announced by the UK government as part of its clean energy superpower mission.

Backed by record UK government and private sector investment in clean energy such as renewables and nuclear, the clean energy economy is sparking a boom in demand for good industrial jobs in all regions and nations of the UK – with 31 priority occupations such as plumbers, electricians, and welders particularly in demand.

For the first time, the government has published a comprehensive national plan to train up the next generation of clean energy workers, with employment expected to double to 860,000 by 2030, ensuring jobs are high quality and well paid.

The North West will benefit from up to 55,000 clean energy jobs by 2030, an increase of up to 25,000 from 2023.

Key skills needed in the region include trades such as electricians, bricklayers and plumbers as well as engineers and metal workers, with the largest clean energy employer expected to be in carbon capture projects.

The Energy Secretary will also set out how this government sees trade unions as an essential part of the modern workplace and economy. Across the broader energy sector, trade union coverage has declined from over 70% in the mid 90’s to around 30% today. Recognising trade unions is vital to securing high pay and good conditions for workers.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

 “Communities have long been calling out for a new generation of good industrial jobs. The clean energy jobs boom can answer that call – and today we publish a landmark national plan to make it happen.

“Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job. Thanks to this government’s commitment to clean energy, a generation of young people in our industrial heartlands can have well-paid secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders.

“This is a pro-worker, pro-jobs, pro-union, agenda that will deliver the national renewal our country needs.”

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden, said:

“We’re giving workers the skills needed for switch to clean energy, which is good for them, good for industry – and will drive growth across the nation.

“Our new jobs plan will unlock real opportunities and ensure everyone has access to the training and support to secure the well-paid jobs that will power our country’s future, as part of our Plan for Change.”

The UK government’s clean energy mission is already leading to a jobs boom in the UK, with the certainty and stability of the government’s mission having galvanised over £50 billion of private investment since last July.

Hynet’s carbon capture project is expected to provide 2,800 direct jobs to Cheshire and Flintshire, whilst Urenco’s Nuclear Fuel Facility in Capenhurst will provide 951 direct jobs to the region.

For young people, these jobs can offer higher levels of pay with entry level roles in the majority of occupations in clean energy paying 23% more than the same occupations in other sectors.

Jobs in wind, nuclear, and electricity networks all advertise average salaries of over £50,000, compared to the UK average of £37,000, and are spread across coastal and post-industrial communities.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said:

“Transforming and developing our skills, training and employment support is essential to meeting the city region’s ambitions and economic challenges – jobs in clean energy will be a key part of this, as we move towards net zero.

“We benefit from strong networks of colleges, universities, local authority community learning providers and independent training providers but skills gaps remain so we welcome this new initiative and its focus on creating good jobs in people’s home towns.”

New skills initiatives include:

• Training up the next generation of clean energy workers – Five new Technical Excellence Colleges will help train young people into essential roles. Skills pilots in Pembrokeshire, Cheshire and Lincolnshire will be backed by a total of £2.5 million – which could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers.

• Harnessing the valuable expertise and transferrable skills of veterans – Working with Mission Renewable, the government is launching a new programme to match veterans up with careers in solar panel installation, wind turbine factories, and nuclear power stations.

• Tailored schemes for ex-offenders, school leavers, and the unemployed – Last year alone, 13,700 people who were out of work possessed many of the skills required for key roles in the clean energy sector, such as engineering and skilled trades.

• Upskill existing workers – Oil and gas workers will benefit from up to £20 million in total from the UK and Scottish Governments to provide bespoke careers training for thousands of new roles in clean energy. This follows high demand for the Aberdeen skills pilot, which is already supporting workers into new careers. Government is also extending the ‘energy skills passport’, which identifies routes for oil and gas workers to easily transition into roles in offshore wind, to new sectors including nuclear and the electricity grid.

The plan also includes landmark proposals to ensure that jobs in the clean energy sector have world class pay, terms and conditions.

• Closing loopholes in legislation to extend employment protections enjoyed by offshore oil and gas workers working beyond UK territorial seas, including the national minimum wage, to the clean energy sector.
• A new Fair Work Charter between offshore wind developers and trade unions to ensure that companies benefiting from public funding provide decent wages and strong workplace rights.
• Workforce criteria in grants and procurements to test and pilot innovative ways to drive fair work and skills in DESNZ grants and contracts, including through the Clean Industry Bonus and the newly formed Great British Energy.

It comes after the Prime Minister announced a package of reforms to elevate and transform the education skills system, with a new target for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning – academic, technical or apprenticeships – by age 25, up from 50% today.

With at least one in six ex-military already armed with many of the skills needed for the clean energy sector, the government is joining forces with Mission Renewable to match them up with careers in solar panel installation, wind turbine factories, and nuclear power stations.

The pilot will initially focus on the East of England, which will benefit from the biggest increase in the size of the clean energy workforce with over 55,000 people expected to be employed in the sector by the end of the decade.