Government sets out approach to green skills needs

The report is the first in-depth articulation by the Government of how it aims to address the UK’s green skills gap and is the culmination of six months collaboration between BIS, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It follows the publication this summer of the Government report 'Enabling the Transition to A Green Economy’, in which the Coalition pledged to make the UK skills system meet the needs of a green economy. According to the Government, 4.500 jobs were created in the low carbon goods and services sector last year and over a million people will be employed in it by 2015.

While advocating a 'demand-led’ skills system – one in which employers set out their own skills needs – Skills for a Green Economy concludes that "many employers" are not articulating their green skills needs, despite "evidence of latent demand" for them. 

"Organisations do not have the right level of awareness or understanding of their green skills requirements and the implications of the green economy. As a result they are unlikely to realise the importance and benefits of incorporating green skills within their business," the report says.

Growth in the green economy requires a range of green skills, the report says, including "light green skills" to build resource efficient companies, and "dark green skills" to build low carbon industry, as well as ensure businesses are climate resilience and are working with the natural environment. But the report highlights specific challenges, which could act as a barrier to green growth. These include a lack of analysis of the green skills needs of some industries, a shortage in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, which are in demand across a number of industries, and the "complexity" of 'ukpskilling’ workers in light green skills.

"It is uncertain if businesses will ever be able to clearly articulate this kind of need due to the associated complexity, even if CEOs are highlighting sustainability," the report says.

In its assessment of skills needs, the report says light green skills, such leadership and management, sustainable procurement, resource efficiency, are required across all businesses. Meanwhile, it highlights certain sectors, where dark green skills are required. These include the built environment, food and drink, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, transport, renewables, carbon capture and storage, waste and water, energy supply and utilities, and land management. It also acknowledges "some specific need" for green skills in education and training and the financial and professional services. 

The report makes a number of commitments to address the UK’s growing green skills needs, which include:

• Bringing together a new 'skills for a green economy’ grouping of Sector Skills Councils in order to understand changing requirements more thoroughly and to communicate this to businesses 

• Improving the quality of information, advice and guidance available on careers in a green economy, through new National Careers Service to be launched in April 2012

• Improving the quality of skills provision in the Further Education (FE) system.

• Working with unions to raise raise awareness and understanding of the green economy and support lifelong learning among the workforce 

• Continuing to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 

• Making available funding for up to 1,000 Apprenticeship places for the Green Deal, subject to take-up by businesses.

Green lobby group, the Aldersgate Group, which published its own report on the green skills gap in 2009, welcomed the Government’s report, but said now it was time for action.

"The new BIS publication Skills for a Green Economy is a welcome indication that the Government recognises the importance of training and skills in managing the transition to a resource efficient economy," John Edmonds, lead on Skills at the Aldersgate Group, and former president of the TUC, said. "The challenge for the Government is now to move from analysis to delivery. This will mean facing up to the central policy dilemma, which is graphically described by BIS. At the moment Britain's skills policy is demand-led. This requires British business to give clear messages to training providers. However Skills for a Green Economy recognises that many businesses are very uncertain about their future skill needs. 

 
"To help resolve this problem, BIS argues sensibly for the provision of more readily available information to guide business decision makers but, given the size of the task and the need for early action, there is a case for the Government also considering a more interventionist approach."