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
3
Accepted in Part
Explore Danish measures for skills shortages and initiate work on home-grown talent for clean energy.
Recommendation
There may be a need for the import of some specific skills from overseas, at least in the short term, to deliver on targets for clean energy and the decarbonisation of buildings. We heard of significant efforts by the Danish …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, prioritising domestic skill growth while acknowledging exceptional cases for skilled workers from abroad, and points to existing initiatives like the Immigration White Paper, Labour Market Evidence Group, and an increased Immigration Skills Charge to fund domestic upskilling. It does not commit to exploring Danish government measures beyond current plans.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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4
Accepted in Part
Expand Skills Passports and establish commitments for energy sector workforce transition and support targets.
Recommendation
The Government must continue to tackle barriers preventing existing energy sector workers transitioning successfully. Skills Passports and associated funding should be expanded. The Government in its response to us should propose how the transferability of skills across traditional boundaries and …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees broadly with the recommendation, committing to the Warm Homes Plan's £15 billion investment projected to create 240,000 jobs by 2030, and establishing a taskforce with the TUC to facilitate worker transition. However, it does not explicitly address the expansion of Skills Passports, proposals for skill transferability via accreditation, or specific commitments with targets within Contracts for Difference mechanisms.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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8
Accepted in Part
Instruct the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to tackle uncertainty and encourage retrofit skills investment.
Recommendation
In our Report on retrofitting homes for net zero we concluded that there was a reluctance to invest in courses that were associated with, among other things, uncertainty and weak promotion of careers. The Office for Clean Energy Jobs should …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating it will monitor regional skills pilots, evaluate their impact, publish a response to a qualifications consultation, and continues to fund the Careers & Enterprise Company to support careers education.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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16
Accepted in Part
Require Government to report on Regional Skills Pilots' success by summer 2026 for expansion.
Recommendation
The Government must demonstrate how it is working with employers and the education sector to deliver clear career pathways, particularly for those workers who will not go through the technical excellence colleges. It should report on the success of the …
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Government Response Summary
The government will closely monitor the outcomes of the Regional Skills Pilots and commission an independent evaluation, publish a response to the consultation on V Levels, and Skills England will continue to work with employers when developing occupational standards.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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21
Accepted in Part
Robustly and regularly evaluate publicly funded skills schemes addressing workforce shortages.
Recommendation
Targeting consumer demand on its own is necessary but not sufficient and public funding is needed aimed at addressing the supply of skills directly. The commitments in the Spending Review and Industrial Strategy are welcome as is the direction of …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, intending to ensure fair work and skills requirements are considered in commercial contracts and grants where feasible, and that conditionality will be carefully considered case-by-case, recognizing existing requirements for departments to have due regard to equality.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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25
Accepted in Part
Publish thorough impact assessment before mandating skilled labour in clean energy retrofit procurement
Recommendation
The Government should carry out and publish a thorough impact assessment before deciding to use conditionality as a policy lever in procurement to mandate skilled labour requirements in contracts for clean energy retrofit works in public sector buildings. (Recommendation, Paragraph …
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Government Response Summary
The government intends to ensure that fair work, skills and sustainable supply chain requirements are considered by default in commercial contracts and grants, where it is feasible and appropriate to do so; it will not require the publication of an impact assessment.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
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