The UK government has launched a new green jobs taskforce to support the creation of 2 million skilled jobs to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The taskforce will “set the direction” for the job market, including in offshore wind, as the UK transitions to a high-skill, low carbon economy.
Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng (pictured) and Skills Minister Gillian Keegan will both chair the Green Jobs Taskforce.
The taskforce’s aim will be to focus on the immediate and longer-term challenges of delivering skilled workers for the UK’s transition to net zero.
These include ensuring the UK has the immediate skills needed for “building back greener”, such as in offshore wind.
It will also ensure “good quality” green jobs and a diverse workforce and will support workers in high carbon transitioning sectors, like oil and gas, to retrain in new green technologies.
Kwarteng said: “This government has promised to do all it can to provide good quality, secure work as we build back better and greener from coronavirus.
“The Green Jobs Taskforce will oversee the UK taking strides towards long-term economic prosperity, as well as transitioning to the new low-carbon green industries of the future”
Keegan added: “It is now more critical than ever to make sure people get the skills they need to progress and that will help our economy to recover.
“I am very much looking forward to co-chairing this important taskforce so we can create more, high quality green job opportunities, levelling up our economy and delivering on our commitment to be net zero by 2050.”
The Green Jobs Taskforce meets for the first time today (Thursday 12 November) and will represent the views of businesses, employees and the skills sectors.
It includes representatives from the Construction Industry Training Board, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, East London Institute for Technology, Retrofit Works, Edinburgh University and National Grid.
The taskforce will assess how the UK jobs market and the skills sector will adapt to support net zero and will create an action plan to inform on what support is needed for people in transitioning industries.
National Grid’s Rhian Kelly said: “We need taskforces like this so that we can work together to create training and maximise opportunities to ensure we have the right people with the right skills to deliver.”
She said green jobs will include people who can connect a rapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and people who can use machine learning to predict how the weather will impact solar and wind power production.