Clean Energy Jobs Plan: a welcome step but scale of the challenge demands more action and urgency

The government has launched its Clean Energy Jobs Plan, estimating that 830,000 workers will be employed in the renewables sector by 2030, nearly doubling the size of the current workforce.

The Clean Energy Jobs Plan sets out a pipeline of infrastructure projects and the training and skills development that will be needed to deliver the number of workers.

The government says they hope the plan will give employers the framework and conditions they need to invest in clean energy.

The Jobs Plan is clear throughout that the government wants to help create good quality jobs in the sector, and that union recognition and collective bargaining are an important part of this. Part of the plan involves a new Fair Work Charter to drive up job quality in offshore wind, which will be negotiated by unions and industry in the coming months.

Sue Ferns OBE, Prospect Senior Deputy General Secretary, said:

“The infrastructure investment required to achieve the government’s clean energy mission must be backed by a major boost to jobs and skills. If this mission is to be a success, and support the wider industrial strategy and growth agendas, then we urgently need a step-change in the level of workforce development.

“In this context it is welcome that this Jobs Plan now exists and the new initiatives are a welcome step in the right direction. However, the scale of the challenge, including training new workers and supporting existing workers, including those looking to transition from other roles, requires both more resource and coordinated effort across government.

“In addition, the Energy Secretary’s welcome support for good, unionised jobs and access to unions must swiftly be made reality, including through the proposed Fair Work Charter – failure to deliver on this will only fuel disappointment and distrust.

“The prize for getting this right is immense, with the potential to create thousands of good secure, well-paid jobs across the country, and tackle populist myths about clean energy head-on but swift and more decisive action is needed if this prize is to be secured.”

Read more in Sue Ferns’ blog responding to the launch of the plan.