Recommendations & Conclusions
8 items
9
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero should have demonstrated its firm grasp of the skills landscape by having published a workforce strategy much sooner. (Conclusion, Paragraph 52)
Government response AI summary
The government agrees and states Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs will continue to work with industry, and the government will consider how competence is defined for PAS retrofit roles to develop clearer competence frameworks.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
12
Conclusion
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
National workforce planning will need to be delivered beyond Whitehall and devolved levels of government have a crucial role to play. National plans need to recognise that delivery of the workforce may diverge according to local circumstance and need while providing both a consistent quality in career pathways, standards and …
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National workforce planning will need to be delivered beyond Whitehall and devolved levels of government have a crucial role to play. National plans need to recognise that delivery of the workforce may diverge according to local circumstance and need while providing both a consistent quality in career pathways, standards and training and a portability of skills across the UK’s nations. (Conclusion, Paragraph 71)
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees that national workforce planning needs to involve devolved governments and recognize local circumstances while ensuring consistent quality and portability of skills, highlighting existing collaboration but not committing to new action.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
13
Conclusion
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
Training needs to meet the needs of employers, current and future workers. There also needs to be more certainty around the longevity of government policies. That will give confidence both to employers investing in training and to workers considering entering the workforce, upskilling and retraining. (Conclusion, Paragraph 72)
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Training needs to meet the needs of employers, current and future workers. There also needs to be more certainty around the longevity of government policies. That will give confidence both to employers investing in training and to workers considering entering the workforce, upskilling and retraining. (Conclusion, Paragraph 72)
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Government response AI summary
Skills England is working towards becoming the single, authoritative voice on current and future skills needs, workforce modelling is built on clean energy technologies deployment, and clean energy public investment plans are set out through the Clean Energy Industries Sector plan.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
14
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
We welcome the Government’s attention to leveraging the significant potential of various levels of devolved government across different parts of the UK. They should be empowered to lead on approaches tailored to local or regional strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the Government must provide the Office for Clean Energy Jobs and …
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We welcome the Government’s attention to leveraging the significant potential of various levels of devolved government across different parts of the UK. They should be empowered to lead on approaches tailored to local or regional strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the Government must provide the Office for Clean Energy Jobs and Skills England with the authority and resources to meaningfully co-ordinate policies with counterparts in the UK’s nations to ensure consistency in training and therefore the portability of skills. (Recommendation, Paragraph 73) 48
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with empowering devolved governments and ensuring consistency in training, highlighting existing collaboration through the Clean Energy Jobs Plan and initiatives like Regional Skills Pilots but makes no specific commitments.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
15
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
Now that the Spending Review has been published, the Government needs to accelerate its adoption of policies relevant to clean energy and retrofit skills. These policies need long timescales to be most effective. The Government should have a ten-year horizon for initiatives and funding which should be revised, and extended, …
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Now that the Spending Review has been published, the Government needs to accelerate its adoption of policies relevant to clean energy and retrofit skills. These policies need long timescales to be most effective. The Government should have a ten-year horizon for initiatives and funding which should be revised, and extended, every five years to give confidence to both trainers and the industry. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the need for long-term policy certainty, highlights work by Skills England, and references existing plans like the Clean Energy Industries Sector plan without committing to any new specific initiatives or timelines beyond existing plans.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
17
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
We further recommend that Government expand and formalise ‘try-before- you-buy’ training opportunities to improve conversion rates from training into employment. Evidence received indicates that up to 70% of individuals starting construction-related FE qualifications do not complete or do not enter the sector, with FE students often lacking structured opportunities to …
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We further recommend that Government expand and formalise ‘try-before- you-buy’ training opportunities to improve conversion rates from training into employment. Evidence received indicates that up to 70% of individuals starting construction-related FE qualifications do not complete or do not enter the sector, with FE students often lacking structured opportunities to translate classroom learning into on-site experience. SMEs, which form the backbone of the construction and retrofit supply chain, frequently operate on short-term contracts and cannot absorb the risk of taking on inexperienced trainees without support. We heard clear examples of effective early-exposure models, such as on-site skills hubs, employer- supported placements, and programmes like B4Box and the Vaillant SME apprenticeship initiative, that reduce barriers for both learners and employers. The Government should therefore expand these practical entry pathways across clean heat, low-carbon construction, and retrofit, ensuring funded, flexible, short-duration placements are available nationwide. (Recommendation, Paragraph 76)
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Government response AI summary
The Department is working across government and with industry through the Construction Skills Mission Board to develop and deliver a skills action plan, provide funding for heat pump training, and launched the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
18
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
Given the scale of workforce demand in construction and retrofit, including the need for an estimated additional 250,000 workers to meet new housing targets and millions more for retrofit we recommend that Government work with CITB, Skills England, and industry to establish a nationally recognised, industry backed construction and retrofit …
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Given the scale of workforce demand in construction and retrofit, including the need for an estimated additional 250,000 workers to meet new housing targets and millions more for retrofit we recommend that Government work with CITB, Skills England, and industry to establish a nationally recognised, industry backed construction and retrofit skills programme. Evidence demonstrates that the current system lacks alignment between education and industry, and that professional pathways remain unclear to prospective entrants. Witnesses highlighted persistent diversity gaps, including women making up less than 15% of the construction workforce, and under- representation among ethnic minority groups. A national programme, backed by CITB or a comparable body, could raise the profile of construction and retrofit as mission-driven, net-zero careers, improve the attractiveness and clarity of pathways, and support higher-quality, employer-endorsed training. We recommend that Government develop such a programme to 49 inspire new entrants, support experienced workers into teaching roles, and ensure the sector attracts a wide and diverse workforce. (Recommendation, Paragraph 77) Measures aimed at demand and at boosting skills supply directly
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Government response AI summary
The Department is working across government and with industry through the Construction Skills Mission Board to develop and deliver a skills action plan, provide funding for heat pump training, and launched the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship.
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
26
Recommendation
6th Report - Workforce planning to deli…
Acknowledged
We emphasise that workforce expansion in retrofit and clean heat must go hand-in-hand with high and verifiable standards of competence. Written evidence criticised aspects of the existing skills and competence system in retrofit and related sectors, calling for tighter and more rigorous training standards, improved accreditation and the raising of …
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We emphasise that workforce expansion in retrofit and clean heat must go hand-in-hand with high and verifiable standards of competence. Written evidence criticised aspects of the existing skills and competence system in retrofit and related sectors, calling for tighter and more rigorous training standards, improved accreditation and the raising of quality where some courses were described as being of ‘dubious value’. Other submissions advocated expanding mandatory certification and restricting grants to certified contractors as a way to protect consumers and ensure high- quality works. The Government’s workforce strategy should therefore link investment in training to nationally recognised, portable accreditation and competence frameworks, so that consumers, social landlords and public bodies can have confidence that retrofit and clean-energy works are being carried out by properly trained and certified workers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 98)
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Government response AI summary
The government is reviewing the system of standards, oversight, and protections for energy efficiency and microgeneration installations, and will consult on options to simplify the system for consumers and installers, and will consider how the definition of competence for PAS roles could be broadened beyond …
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Department for Energy Security and Net Zero