How do we co-ordinate the skilling, upskilling and re-skilling needed for clean energy and warm homes - and who pays?

Significant problems have arisen in Government-backed retrofit schemes to date - the Warm Homes Voucher Scheme, solid wall insulation – because of skills gaps in the market and insufficient assurance processes.  But that almost pales in comparison to the mass shift in employment sectors, the re-skilling of the existing energy workforce and the creation of whole new “green career pathways” and aligned academic and professional training that is needed - and needed to be co-ordinated at local level across the country. Who will pay to skill, upskill and reskill workers through the lifetime of a new green career?  

The situation has been described in evidence as a “skills crisis” by the Federation of Master Builders, who stated that Britain would need to recruit from abroad in the short-term to meet need ahead of stretching housebuilding, infrastructure and clean energy targets. In the longer-term they insisted the solution will have to be  to build the domestic workforce and spread skills throughout the economy as we fully transition to decarbonised energy and buildings. The Trades Union Congress suggested conditions could be applied to worker visas to ensure that employers increase investment in domestic skills.  

On Wednesday 30 April the ESNZ Committee will hear from employers, entrepreneurs and trade unions directly involved in the Clean Energy Mission and the decarbonisation of buildings across the country.

Evidence session, Wednesday 23 April

Witnesses at 3pm:

• Sue Ferns, Senior Deputy General Secretary at Prospect 
• Jodie Coe, Director of People and Change at Northern Powergrid 

Witnesses at 4pm:  

• Leah Robson, Founder at Your Energy Your Way 
• Tom Jarman, Director at Low Carbon Journey 

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image: Unsplash