Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Government intervention and public expenditure crucial to address clean energy sector skills gaps.
Conclusion
Fortunately, there is a lot of scope for smart policy and expenditure to be used to collaborate with the whole energy sector, as well as the education and skills sector, to empower and equip existing workers and new entrants to meet demand created by the Government’s targets for clean energy and the decarbonisation of buildings. Crucially, time appears to remain available for productive change and many of the skills of the existing energy, engineering and construction workforces are highly transferable, alongside the potential for innovative and creative programmes to demonstrate crossover applicable skills from other parts of the economy. The skilled jobs that will be required, offer the promise of long-term, good careers but it is unclear that market forces alone will overcome inertia and bottlenecks. Notwithstanding the role of the private sector in investing in skills, there is a clear role for government intervention and leveraged public expenditure. (Conclusion, Paragraph 30)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government partially agrees, outlining specific actions including an industry-led awareness campaign for clean energy careers, the establishment of a Social Inclusion Forum to coordinate initiatives, and referencing the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy to build a robust talent pipeline.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The government welcomes the report from the committee. We are grateful to the Committee for the inquiry and report and to the industry bodies, trade unions, training bodies and all others who provided evidence to support it. Since the evidence provided in the Sixth Session to inform the Committee’s Report, the government has published the Industrial Strategy, the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, the Clean Energy Jobs Plan, North Sea Energy Future Plan, and Warm Homes Plan. These publications set out the government’s approach to workforce and skills issues across clean energy industries and decarbonisation of buildings. Thanks to the clarity and ambition of our Clean Energy Superpower Mission, the number of jobs supported by clean energy industries could almost triple in Scotland and at least double in Wales, Northern Ireland and almost every region of England, as the sector grows from around 440,000 jobs in 2023 to support 860,000 jobs across the UK by the end of the decade. This presents a significant opportunity to revitalise our industrial heartlands and ensure that our existing energy workforce can move flexibly into good clean energy roles. This Clean Energy Jobs Plan sets out how the government will work in partnership with industry and trade unions to help workers in all parts of the country benefit from these opportunities—supporting our existing workforce to find new opportunities, training up the next generation, and supporting our young people to get good, unionised jobs. The Clean Energy Jobs Plan is centred on four key themes. The first is ensuring that government delivers a talented pipeline of skilled workers to match the growing demand of the clean energy workforce to 2030 and beyond. This includes over £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028–29 to support young people into priority sectors, including clean energy. We are also investing £182 million over 4 years into the Engineering Skills Package to support engineering skills and establishing five Clean Energy Technical Colleges. The second is creating a highly skilled and transferable clean energy workforce, utilising the existing talent of the UK workforce to ensure the delivery of our clean energy ambitions. This includes supporting the expansion of the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund and Energy Skills Passport, and developing a bespoke offer for veterans. The government builds on this further in the North Sea Future Plan with the announcement of a new North Sea Jobs Service, which will offer end-to-end career transition support for oil and gas workers looking to move into secure jobs in growing industries.
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