The government has unveiled plans to create 400,000 new jobs in the UK’s clean energy sector by 2030, as part of a major workforce expansion to support the country’s transition to renewable power.
The initiative, announced by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, will focus on training workers for roles in solar, wind, nuclear and other low-carbon industries. Plumbers, electricians and welders are among 31 priority occupations identified as being “particularly in demand.”
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Miliband said the new jobs are essential to achieving the UK’s energy ambitions. “Four hundred thousand jobs is not a target, it’s what we need,” he said. “Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your hometown just to find a decent job.”
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said employment in the sector is expected to double to 860,000 within five years. Five “technical excellence colleges” will be created to deliver clean energy training, with £2.5m in funding for pilot schemes in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire.
The government will also launch a programme to help veterans move into clean energy roles such as solar panel installation and wind turbine maintenance. Oil and gas workers will be offered up to £20m in retraining support, funded jointly by the UK and Scottish governments. Tailored schemes will also support ex-offenders, school leavers and unemployed individuals.
Miliband confirmed that construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station will create around 10,000 jobs. He also highlighted growth at Siemens’ wind turbine factory in Hull, describing it as “booming.”
According to DESNZ, clean energy jobs currently pay an average salary of more than £50,000 compared to the national average of £37,000.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “We’re giving workers the skills needed to switch to clean energy, which is good for them, good for industry and will drive growth across the nation.”
Industry and union leaders welcomed the move. Dhara Vyas, chief executive of Energy UK, called it “a critical step forward in building the workforce required to deliver our future energy system.”
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea added that investment in apprenticeships and training “could help create a UK workforce with highly skilled, fairly paid and secure jobs.”
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