Source · Select Committees · Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
6th Report - Workforce planning to deliver clean, secure energy
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee
HC 393
Published 5 December 2025
Recommendations
5
Accepted
Accelerate initiatives promoting clean energy and retrofit careers for under-represented groups and new workforce entrants.
Recommendation
The Government should continue to develop and launch further initiatives to promote clean energy and retrofit careers among under-represented groups and those outside the existing workforce; the actions set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper should be …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, stating that the existing Office for Clean Energy Jobs within DESNZ already coordinates work, convenes stakeholders, and identifies skills gaps to build a skilled clean energy workforce, including in retrofit careers.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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10
Accepted
Publish Warm Homes Plan demonstrating career focus, tailored messaging, and training support.
Recommendation
The Warm Homes Plan is crucial for retrofit workforce planning and should be published as soon as possible. It must set out a clear framework of responsibilities to ensure joined-up delivery. It should demonstrate the Government is putting good quality, …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees and says that the Warm Homes Plan was published on 21 January 2026 outlining investment to upgrade homes and lift families out of fuel poverty, with policies and initiatives to deliver growth and good jobs, and a taskforce with the TUC to create a skilled workforce.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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11
Accepted
Effectively resource Office for Clean Energy Jobs to encompass both clean energy and retrofit workforces.
Recommendation
The Office for Clean Energy Jobs should be effectively resourced so that its remit and activity can encompass both the clean energy and the retrofit workforces. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54) Collaborating with and supporting stakeholders
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Office for Clean Energy Jobs is already resourced and plays a crucial convening role between industry, trade unions, and training providers.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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22
Accepted
Incorporate digital skills and modern construction methods into workforce planning for productivity.
Recommendation
In addition to increasing the overall number of workers, we recognise that productivity improvements and new working practices will be essential to meet the scale of labour demand identified in this Report. Evidence submitted on the sheer volume of work …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, committing to review the system of standards, oversight, and protections for energy efficiency installations, consult on simplifying the system, and review PAS standards to broaden the definition of competence to ensure installations are completed correctly and reflect evolving practices.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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24
Accepted
Facilitate a greater role for local authorities to accelerate domestic retrofit roll-out.
Recommendation
We look forward to the Government’s Warm Homes Plan and their estimate of workforce needs and how they will meet it. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan should facilitate a greater role for local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of retrofit. …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that the Warm Homes Plan is projected to increase the number of jobs supported in energy efficiency and clean heating. DESNZ has set up a taskforce in partnership with the TUC, to facilitate the creation and growth of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce to meet the demand generated by these initiatives.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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27
Accepted
Publish evaluation of funding schemes impacting skills supply in retrofit sector
Recommendation
The Government should commit immediately to at least maintaining its support for measures aimed at increasing demand for retrofit during this Parliament. It should also commit to carrying out and publishing an evaluation of the impact of its funding schemes …
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Government Response Summary
The government is investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to five million homes by 2030, and routinely carries out evaluation activities to measure the impact of departmental skills funding.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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Conclusions (5)
1
Conclusion
Accepted
The supply of skilled labour does not currently match the levels of demand expected to be required if the UK is to fulfil Government’s ambitions to deliver clean energy by 2030 and decarbonised buildings by 2050. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, committing to expand the Energy Skills Passport, provide £20 million for North Sea worker transition, launch a North Sea Jobs Service, and explore developer contributions to a skills fund as part of its Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
2
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
Government Response Summary
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.
7
Conclusion
Accepted
For workforce planning to be effective, it is important that there is some shared definition of the jobs under discussion for support, encouragement and incentivisation; the Government’s clarifications around definitions has been helpful. We also welcome the Government taking an expansive approach to the scope of roles included and the …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, outlining how Skills England is working to create long-term certainty for the skills system and how workforce modelling in the Jobs Plan is built on deployment expectations, supported by long-term clean energy investment and carbon budget plans.
19
Conclusion
Accepted
Consumer and public sector demand have a significant role to play in increasing the demand for, and therefore exerting influence on the supply of, skills. Longer and more detailed time frames will provide certainty not just for consumers in seeking to adopt technologies but also for employers to invest in …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion, citing actions to influence demand and certainty such as cancelling the ECO scheme, shifting energy costs, publishing responses on EPC reform and private rented sector energy standards, and committing to consult on hydrogen for home heating.
20
Conclusion
Accepted
The Government has at its disposal a range of measures, not all of which involve spending public money. There is scope for using procurement, and similar policy levers, to create the demand for skilled roles. (Conclusion, Paragraph 92)
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, highlighting the Warm Homes Plan's projected job creation and stating that DESNZ has set up a taskforce with the TUC to facilitate workforce growth. They also intend to integrate low-income capital schemes by 2027/28.