The UK has a willing green workforce, it just needs to train them   – Inside track

The government has a challenge on its hands around skills and the net zero transition. As many as one in five jobs is expected to be affected by the move to a green economy. Rather than threatening jobs, as recent news stories have insinuated, the transition is expected to create between 135,000 and 725,000 net new jobs. But simply reskilling current workers won’t be enough to meet this demand: new entrants to the green workforce are needed. 

This is tricky in a very tight labour market. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded just under a million job vacancies between July and September 2023. Skills gaps are already emerging across all net zero sectors, with those that need to decarbonise fastest, such as transport and housing, experiencing the most acute labour shortages.  

Without a concrete plan, the government risks not only missing its decarbonisation targets but also leaving much of the current and future workforce without the skills to compete in a growing market for secure, well paid jobs. Green skills are extremely diverse, ranging from specific technical knowledge and expertise to develop and operate green technologies (eg heat pumps), to softer skills such as the leadership and interpersonal skills required for advocacy or community engagement.  

 To compound the problem, government policies have done little to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). There are just under 800,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are NEET, 300,000 of them are unemployed, meaning they are actively looking for work. This is bad for the economy and for young people’s prospects: the estimated lifetime cost to the Treasury of each young person who is NEET between the ages of 16-18 is £85,900. Research has found that being NEET for over six months could still affect a person’s health, life satisfaction and job status 20 years later. Helping young people develop green skills and gain employment in net zero industries could improve their life chances while tackling national skills shortages. 

There are too many barriers to green jobs
Young people are drawn to green jobs. Polling commissioned by British Gas of 1,000 15 to 25 year olds found that almost three quarters want careers that would allow them to have a positive impact on the environment. Previous polling conducted by Public First corroborates this: most of the young graduates consulted were interested in a green job. 

But, for many young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, accessing the opportunities isn’t easy. One issue is poor knowledge of the green economy: only 20 per cent of 16 to 23 year old students polled by Savanta ComRes said they were informed about the range of green jobs available. And, even where they can identify relevant training or job opportunities, young people from marginalised backgrounds face more barriers. These include additional costs associated with training (such as the need for special work clothes or access to a digital device), high entry requirements (such as the expectation of a relevant undergraduate degree or extensive volunteering experience) and physical access barriers as many green jobs are in areas with poor transport links. The lack of diversity in green sectors may also be offputting, as is the false perception that green jobs are insecure, poorly paid and have limited opportunities for progression. It is no surprise that that young people from lower income households and those who are NEET were found to be less likely than their peers to want a green job.  

Training and employment pathways are inadequate
There are already existing pathways for young people to gain skills and entry level employment in the green economy, but these fall short of what is needed. The school curriculum devotes little attention to environmental issues or the green economy and, while further education institutions are taking the lead on new green courses, continuing with classroom-based learning isn’t for everyone. Pathways providing on the job training such as apprenticeships are still too focused on occupational competency – ie training someone for a specific job – instead of the broad range of transferable skills that would prepare them for a career in the green economy. Government programmes, such as the Kickstart scheme or sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPs), include very few green courses. 

There are examples of programmes, both in the UK and abroad, that have successfully supported young people from marginalised backgrounds to develop green skills. The New to Nature programme targets young people with disabilities or from ethnic minority backgrounds or low income households to undertake work placements in nature charities. Trainees are provided with one to one support through a coach, to address barriers they face and identify relevant training opportunities, as well as networking and career development opportunities. The scheme has been very successful at reaching target groups, thanks to support given to host organisations to diversify their hiring practices. Civic service schemes, such as the California Conservation Corps and Ecogenia, have also helped young people from all backgrounds to gain green skills. 

The governmentOur recent report, produced for the Youth Environmental Service, calls on the government to could draw on these successes and set up a national scheme to help more young people, including those who are NEET, to gain the skills to access green jobs. For example, it could create paid work placements for a minimum of a year, with on the job training and opportunities for broader personal development. Host organisations could be reimbursed for the costs of trainees’ wages according to need.  It could start by targeting those regions with high levels of youth who are NEET and where there is high expected demand for entry-level green jobs, before rolling out nationwide. 

High levels of youth unemployment and green skill shortages are major economic challenges. Despite the upfront costs, investing in a paid green work placements programme is a neat solution to both, supporting economic growth through the green transition and boosting young people’s prospects.