The UK government has outlined a plan to change the UK economy to achieve net zero by 2050. In order to manufacture and distribute future fuels like hydrogen, biofuels, and e-fuels, the plan asks for major changes to the core components of our industrial system. These include the power grid and implementing a new national infrastructure. Systemwide changes will occur in critical industries like food production, affecting everything from farming methods and land usage to distribution, retail, and consumption.[i] However, the availability of green employment and skills shouldn't be viewed as specialised or limited to particular economic sectors. As the world strives to tackle climate change, every profession has the potential to become "green," and there is a vast array of talents that will help the transition to a net zero economy. According to research, one in five jobs in the UK (or roughly 6.3 million workers) will require skills that may see an increase or decrease in demand throughout the transition.[ii] LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report 2022 demonstrates a worldwide trend towards green jobs, with an 8% increase in job postings requiring green skills. Regrettably, this growth is not matched by an increase in available talent, which has seen only a 6% rise.[iii]
Relative green skill intensity by sector
Source: LinkedIn
As the world continues in its endeavour towards net zero, green job growth is not likely to slow down, so it is for green skills to speed up in order to match demand.
Organisations have felt long-standing pressures on skills. Robots in the auto industry and CRM software for sales are just two examples of how automation and digitalisation have changed the nature of employment. With workers needing to learn new skills to stay relevant and boardrooms needing to move quickly on skills to ensure their companies can continue to run successfully, we are witnessing a seismic shift toward the fourth Industrial Revolution. 72% of corporate executives who participated in PWC’s 24th Annual CEO Survey identified the lack of vital skills as one of their top concerns.[iv] A Green Alliance report from earlier in 2022 outlined that businesses will not be able to rely upon a new wave of green-skilled individuals entering the job market as they point out that 80% of the predicted workforce of 2030 are in work today; this means that upskilling or reskilling become key tools for organisations.[v]
The institution of Engineering & Technology reported on what were the biggest barriers to accessing reskilling and upskilling. The top 4 responses were a lack of employer support, a lack of time to complete the training, a lack of information on what new skills are required and access to training.[vi]
Source: IET
In the case of employer support, if the overarching goal of achieving net zero and ESG goals is not enticement enough, Pluralsight’s state of upskilling 2022 report found that upskilling can play a role in employee retention. The report found that one of the most cited reasons for moving jobs was to seek out “Professional growth and learning opportunities”; this was found to be more prevalent than compensation.[vii] In regard to the lack of understanding of what skills are required, as this blog has referenced, green skills are an area where growth in demand is outstripping growth in supply, and this demonstrates a need. When it comes to time and access, ZCA’s Net Zero: Here’s How course may just provide the answers you need. With self-paced, online study, participants can be as flexible as they wish and still pick up valuable learning from the training, such as:
Not only will the course get you started as you look to upskill your workforce for the transition to a green economy, access to ZCA’s community functions means that you could be connected to fellow professionals and experts alike from all around the world as we all continue to tread the path towards a net zero future.
[i] Deloitte- A blueprint for green workforce transformation
[ii] Green Jobs Taskforce- Report to Government, Industry and the Skills sector
[iii] LinkedIn- Global green skills report 2022
[iv] PWC- Upskilling your workforce for green transformation
[v] Green Alliance- Closing the UK’s green skills gap
[vi] IET- what are the three biggest barriers employee?
[vii] Pluralsight- State of Upskilling Report 2022
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
