Skills investment plan to help workers access clean energy jobs launched by government

Thousands of workers will be supported by the government with new training programmes to help them access new clean energy jobs, and to make the Just Transition from traditional fossil fuel jobs to opportunities in renewables.

Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire have all been identified as key growth regions for clean energy, with established offshore wind, nuclear, and solar industries that are already flourishing.

As a result, local partners in those regions will be helped to identify the skills support that they each require to further accelerate their success.

New training centres, courses and careers advisors will all be funded to support local people make the most of opportunities in critical industries that will be needed to support the transition to clean energy, such as in construction, welding and electrical engineering.

In addition, the UK government, working with industry and the Scottish government, will help existing oil and gas workers make their own transition to the clean energy sector by launching a ‘skills passport.’

This online passport will help oil and gas workers identify the various routes available to them in the renewables sector, such as in offshore wind construction and maintenance.

The skills investment and skills passport initiatives are part of the government’s plan to deliver clean power by 2030, unlock billions of pounds of investment and create thousands of skilled jobs across the UK.

Prospect Senior Deputy General Secretary, Sue Ferns said:

“This announcement is a good first step and lays some of the groundwork necessary if we are to achieve a Just Transition to a decarbonised energy system.

“Identifying our current skills base and skills gaps is essential so we can implement the pathways necessary to support workers to move into comparable sustainable jobs in the sector.

“There is however more that needs to be done to break down barriers to moving between oil and gas and renewables. Pay and conditions are vastly different in the two industries for example.

“Deeper engagement is needed between the Offshore Wind sector and trade unions so we can work together to support a Just Transition.”