Every UK job has the potential to be green, says Green Jobs Taskforce

Independent Green Jobs Taskforce issues call to action on how the UK can deliver a green industrial revolution with government, business and the education sector working together.

Every UK job has the potential to be green, according to a new independent, expert report backed by the UK government.

Reaffirming its commitment to delivering a workforce needed for a green industrial revolution and outlining a series of green programmes providing adults with the skills needed to pursue a green career, the UK government has welcomed 15 new recommendations from the independent Green Jobs Taskforce.

It is already estimated that the Prime Minister’s ambitious Ten Point Plan will support up to 90,000 highly-skilled green UK jobs within this Parliament, and up to 250,000 by 2030. This includes supporting 60,000 jobs in offshore wind, 40,000 new jobs in zero emission vehicles, and 50,000 jobs in greening the UK’s buildings – all by 2030. This represents the first steps towards our broader ambition of supporting 2 million jobs in the green economy and its supply chains by 2030.

The Taskforce, convened by the Business and Education departments in November 2020, has published its findings and recommendations on how the UK government, industry and skills sector can best deliver the green jobs and skills of the future. Recommendations include:

• Publishing a detailed Net Zero Strategy and using policy to promote good green jobs, skills and competitive supply chains
• Industry, the education sector and the UK government working together to ensure green careers advice and pathways into good green jobs
• Building on the UK government’s skills reforms to support people to work in the new green economy

Today’s report assesses how the UK jobs market, and the skills sector, should adapt to support net zero, from training engineers and construction workers who are building the UK’s world-renowned offshore wind farms and nuclear plants, to the retrofitters who will make homes more comfortable and energy efficient, and car mechanics servicing electric vehicles and vans.

UK Energy & Climate Change Minister and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce Anne-Marie Trevelyan  explains: ‘As we lead the world in tackling climate change, we need to invest in the UK’s most important asset – its workforce – so that our people have the right skills to deliver a green industrial revolution and thrive in the jobs it will create.

‘That’s why today we have welcomed the recommendations put forward by the Green Jobs Taskforce, which are a big step forward in delivering the skilled workers and green jobs essential for the UK’s transition to net zero.

Its report, alongside our ambitious skills programmes, will be invaluable to us as we build a pathway into green careers for people from all backgrounds and ensuring that workers and communities dependent on the high-carbon economy are supported as we build back greener into a cleaner future.’

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce Gillian Keegan also adds, ‘We are focused on delivering the talent pipeline businesses need for green jobs now and in the future. From Skills Bootcamps to apprenticeships, our skills programmes will ensure people are able to acquire the skills needed for the growing green economy.

‘We welcome the Taskforce’s findings which will help us to drive forward our ambitious green skills revolution, supporting more people of all backgrounds to get the skills they need to build great careers and help us reach our goal of net zero emissions by 2050.’