Workers across the UK will be supported with government-backed training programmes so they can benefit from thousands of new job opportunities in the clean energy sector, as part of the government’s Plan for Change and clean energy superpower mission.

Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire have all been identified as key growth regions for clean energy, with flourishing offshore wind, nuclear, and solar industries. Local partners will receive funding to identify the skills support that is needed in their area to deliver clean power by 2030 – which will protect households and businesses from unstable fossil fuel markets for good.

Funding could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers – supporting local people into opportunities in industries such as welding, electrical engineering, and construction.  

Alongside this, the government has delivered on a longstanding campaign to help oil and gas workers access opportunities in clean energy jobs by launching a ‘skills passport’, in collaboration with industry and Scottish Government. Oil and gas workers will be able to access the skills passport online, which will initially help them identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance.   

These initiatives will help build the pipeline of skilled workers needed to deliver clean power by 2030, which will unlock £40 billion of investment a year and reindustrialise Britain with thousands of good jobs across the country. This underscores the government’s commitment to deliver a jobs-rich clean energy transition, putting communities and trade unions at the heart of the UK’s clean energy future.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Our Plan for Change to deliver clean power is not just about protecting households and businesses from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets, it is also about reindustrialising Britain with thousands of well-paid, good union jobs in industrial communities.

Unlike the failed approach of previous governments, we won’t sit back and let good jobs go overseas instead of coming to our shores.

We are working with communities, businesses, and trade unions to train workers here in Britain, so we can seize the opportunities that clean power brings.

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said:

It is absolutely vital that we recognise and retain the considerable skills of oil and gas workers and ensure they are supported, as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring a fair and just transition for Scotland.

That’s why the Scottish Government has provided £3.7 million of funding to support oil and gas and renewables industries to jointly develop the Energy Skills Passport – helping to ensure that the skills, experience and expertise of oil and gas workers are harnessed and that they are ready to apply for the long term sustainable jobs that are created as part of our fair and managed transition to net zero.

The Scottish Government’s support on the passport will help ensure the economic transformation is managed fairly for workers in existing industries and the communities that underpin them. I welcome the pilot phase of the passport, which has been three years in the making and I look forward to seeing further developments in the coming months.

Many of the skills required for the transition already exist, with research from Offshore Energies UK showing that 90% of oil and gas workers have skills that are relevant to the clean energy transition.

From today (22 January), workers will be able to create an account to access the four career pathways currently available, helping them identify where their existing qualifications are recognised. Led by Renewable UK and Offshore Energies UK, and supported by the UK and funding from Scottish Government, the tool will be expanded over the coming year to recognise other pathways from oil and gas into the renewable sector.

Funding will initially be given to Cheshire West and Chester, North and North East Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire, as significant work identifying skills has already been done for Aberdeen. All 4 areas will be considered for further funding for targeted measures such as new training centres and courses to upskill workers. This could support the offshore wind sector in South Wales, or nuclear fuel cluster in Cheshire. Around £1 million will be available for each area, with local and devolved partners empowered to develop their own plans for how best to target the funding.

Employers will also get a handbook which highlights where businesses can access support to grow and upskill their workforce. This will include, for example, sector-based work academy programmes which help jobseekers into the sector, ensuring they have the necessary skills to deliver clean power by 2030.

It comes as the government recently confirmed that contracts have been signed for the UK’s first carbon capture project in Teesside, marking the latest milestone in the government’s mission to reignite its industrial heartlands, tackle the climate crisis and turbocharge growth for decades to come.   

Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said: 

As part of our Plan for Change, the UK Government is committed to supporting our world class offshore workforce as we become a clean energy superpower.

These new skills pilots in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will help our oil and gas workers move into renewables jobs and follow our recent action to accelerate the skills passport.

We are cutting red tape and giving workers the flexibility to move between industries and take advantage of the opportunities that the clean energy transition will provide.

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer, said: 

Clean energy jobs can be vital in the delivery of good, unionised workplaces across our country. Especially in those areas left decimated by deindustrialisation.  

This is a welcome first step to ensure that decent, skilled jobs can be secured by the workers who need them.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

Skills will be a vital part of our Plan for Change and transition to a clean energy future, and I have spoken to many young people who are really keen to break into this booming sector.

This initiative is an example of how skills training can support our number one mission to grow the economy whilst helping to meet Britain’s energy needs and support the move towards net zero.

Skills England will continue this work, collaborating with employers, providers and others to tackle skills gaps across the country.

RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Offshore Wind Jane Cooper said:

To grow our world-class offshore wind industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that British oil and gas workers can bring to our sector.

The Energy Skills Passport provides a pathway for them into clean energy by identifying which offshore wind roles which would suit them best and setting out the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.

It’s a practical tool which demonstrates our determination to bring the tangible benefits of the energy transition to workers right across the energy sector, supported by the government, employers, trade unions and training providers.

Offshore Energies UK’s Director of Supply Chain and People, Katy Heidenreich said:

We are pleased to be working with RenewableUK to launch the Energy Skills Passport. The UK’s offshore energy workforce has a proud heritage and continues to have high value jobs in oil and gas, which support a broad range of skills from engineering and construction to legal and commercial expertise.

These skills are essential for the homegrown oil and gas the UK needs for decades to come together with the expansion in energy production we’ll need in future. This passport is all about helping people working in this industry to make informed decisions about their jobs and future. As we build a homegrown low carbon future, this passport can help them succeed in projects right across our diverse energy mix.

We now look forward to working with policymakers to help unlock and enable the business investment we need for a new generation of good, high-value jobs and opportunities for firms and their people.

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

There is huge potential for economic growth in Wales, fuelled by clean energy technology like floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.

This skills pilot in Pembrokeshire will create a workforce here in Wales ready to take on a new generation of jobs in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

Rebecca Evans, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning said:

This is excellent news for Pembrokeshire and the surrounding area, and I’m delighted that the Welsh Government will be leading this pilot. It’s another example of how, working alongside the UK Government, we are unlocking the vast opportunities in Wales as we upskill our workforce, deliver green jobs and drive forward clean power and energy security.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Chair of Cheshire and Warrington sub regional Leaders Board said:

We are thrilled that Cheshire West and Chester has been selected as a target area for the Regional Skills Pilot. This initiative, as part of the Clean Power Action Plan, will play a crucial role in transitioning our workforce from carbon-intensive industries to clean energy sectors. As one of the centres of the net zero re-industrialisation of the North, we are committed to encouraging green economic growth and the benefits that will bring to our area.

By addressing skill gaps and challenges through targeted interventions, we are not only supporting our residents to upskill, and our local economy to fill crucial skill requirements, but also contributing to the UK’s broader goal of achieving clean power by 2030. We look forward to working closely with the department and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to ensure the success of this pilot.

Jack Hayhoe, Head of Net Zero Programmes at Midlands Net Zero Hub said:

Midlands Net Zero Hub welcomes the announcement of the Regional Skills Pilot. The creation of skilled workers is vital to achieving the UK Government’s 2030 clean energy mission, and through the training schemes that the Hub has supported, we can see the interest in green jobs continues to grow.

Our research into the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector has demonstrated that a strategic approach to addressing skills gaps can unlock nearly £15 billion of economic growth in the region over the next 5 years. Not only will this work bolster the economy, the net zero transition will be transformational for communities in the Midlands, who are at the heart of our decarbonisation efforts. We look forward to working with government to identify and overcome the challenges around growing skills in the region that will support the transition to net zero.

Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy, Regeneration, Devolution and Skills at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

Empowering our residents to unlock their potential and achieve their goals is critical to the future of our borough – if we are to improve health and prosperity within our communities, we must work together to ensure our people are able to take the opportunities that exist here.

Our ambition is for our people to be equipped with the skills they need. We know the demand is here and we do have a skills gap that must be closed. I am pleased that this has been recognised and we have been presented with this opportunity.

We now look forward to working closely with Midlands Net Zero Hub (and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) to look at things that will support our residents and the sector.

Background information

The Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is today convening a roundtable with key representatives from government, industry, education, and trade unions to discuss how to ensure the UK’s workforce is well-prepared to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition.

The skills regional funding comes from the Office for Clean Energy Skills Fund and will be awarded for skills mapping to the following partners:

• North and North East Lincolnshire – Midlands Net Zero Hub hosted by Nottingham City Council
• Cheshire West and Chester – North West Net Zero Hub – overseen by Local Enterprise Partnerships and Combined Authorities in the North West
• Pembrokeshire – Welsh Government
• extensive skills mapping for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire has already been undertaken and the region will be considered for further funding later in the year to deliver skills support

The ‘skills passport’ was supported with £3.7 million of Scottish Government Just Transition funding between 2022 and 2024.