News

‘Discovery phase’ for UK Govt’s Green Jobs Taskforce

17 December 2020

The UK Government’s Green Jobs Taskforce, whose members include Sue Ferns, Prospect senior deputy general secretary, has started the ‘discovery’ phase of its work, where it is seeking evidence and feedback to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges ahead for green jobs.

The aim of the Taskforce is to bring together expertise from trade unions, business, further education institutions, and local partners to develop an action plan to support the skills needed to help deliver on the commitment to support up to two million green jobs by 2030.

The taskforce is jointly chaired by BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) energy minister, Kwasi Kwarteng and Department for Education skills minister, Gillian Keegan.

It is scheduled to run from November 2020 to April 2021. Following the ‘discovery’ phase the taskforce will, from February to April, enter its ‘design’ phase where it will develop recommendations and an action plan.

The taskforce has identified four priority areas, which will provide the basis for its future recommendations:

1.     Ensuring we have the immediate skills needed for building back greener, such as in offshore wind and home retrofitting.

2.     Developing a long-term plan that charts out the skills needed to help deliver a net zero economy over the coming 10-15 years.

3.     Ensuring green jobs are good jobs and we have a diverse workforce.

4.     Supporting workers in high carbon transitioning sectors, like oil and gas, to retrain in new green technologies.

At the unveiling of the Green Jobs Taskforce in November, Sue Ferns said:

“It is a privilege to be asked to be on this important taskforce which should help pave the way for the green jobs revolution we have been being promised for some years now.

“It is good to see the government recognise that unions are well placed to advise on the skills our economy needs going forward and on the best way to fairly move to a low carbon economy while safeguarding jobs.”

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If any Prospect energy branches, individual reps, or employers would like to contribute and share their relevant experiences in any of the four identified priority areas please contact [email protected]


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