STEM skills lie at the heart of skills needs for the green economy and transition to net zero, particularly for entry-level jobs, and for roles that employers can shape and train themselves.

Some industries are relatively well established, and skills needs are known, such as for offshore wind energy, EV manufacture, and construction retrofit. But for other sectors and aspects of the low carbon transition, we do yet not know the nature of skills demand, or the pace and scale of transition and change required for industrial transformation and skills transformation.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:

– Analyse and anticipate likely future green skills needs
– Map out existing green skills courses and providers, identify gaps and where integration needs to be improved
– Anticipate future careers in green industries, and have guidance materials and services ready
– Establish core foundation skills provision and funding – for entry-level skills, that employers can build on with their own training
– Put in place agile skills funding programmes that can meet future skills needs as they emerge

Examples of local action

The Green Growth Foresighting Project is being led by Newcastle College and seeks to understand the current and future skills needs of leading green industries including offshore wind energy and EVs.

The Energy Skills Partnership, Scotland is a collaboration of Scotland’s colleges and industry partners established to increase delivery of green skills needed across energy, engineering, and construction sectors. The partnership is working to align skills supply with 17 new offshore wind projects approved for development in Scotland over the next ten years.

The Green Jobs Workforce Academy offers information on available opportunities and the skills needed, along with details on required training and funding sources.

Retrofit skills bootcamps, such as those funded by NTCA and provided by RE:GEON offer specific training in new areas such as Construction Green Skills.

Greater Manchester’s Green Skills Academy houses the latest green technology equipment in order for businesses and individuals to gain knowledge and skills.

The Prospect Union worked with the EDF regarding the Cottam Power Station in Nottinghamshire which was scheduled for closure, to explore ways to transfer across workers to similar roles in nuclear and renewables.

More details are in the article in the link https://lnkd.in/edWkC2jW