What does the Industrial Strategy mean for green jobs?

This week saw the launch of the Industrial Strategy, aiming to drive growth nationally by focusing on eight industries over 10 years. Part of the strategy is centred on meeting the skills needs of these industries, many of which will involve the creation of thousands of new, green jobs. The Climate Change Committee put the total number of new green jobs by 2030 at somewhere between 135,000 and 725,000.

For part of our Everyone’s Environment programme, I’ve been looking at what we actually mean when we’re talking about green jobs, and what the evidence says about how best to support young people into them. This work, in partnership with Groundwork and funded by the EY Foundation, builds on our recommendations in Making environmental policy work for everyone that call for more accessible green jobs and skills programmes.

From the research, it’s clear that there’s not a single consistent definition of green jobs, and that young people don’t understand what jobs are included. Definitions range from a top-down focus on specific industries, to bottom-up descriptions of the features of specific roles. Regardless of the definition, the fact that it doesn’t resonate with young people is an issue.

Public First found that young people think that working in the “green economy” is for people with degrees, who studied science at school. 67% of those polled thought that a degree was a minimum requirement for most green jobs. In contrast, Catch-22 found that young people think it refers to outdoor work like gardening. These are very different, but it’s clear that the language of green jobs doesn’t make young people think of the full range of job roles that will be needed to support the green economy.

When looking at how best to support young people into these jobs, we’ve compared existing support programmes to the Youth Futures Foundation Youth Employment Toolkit. There’s a range of programmes that exist, and the evidence about what makes them effective is quite mixed. Unfortunately, there’s no single right way to help young people into employment.

What we do know is that it’s important that support programmes are closely connected to local job opportunities, and are adaptable to the specific needs of individuals. This means employers, training providers, and charities working together to design support around future job opportunities and the needs of local communities.

The Industrial Strategy acknowledges this, emphasising the need for deeper employer partnerships to improve the links between employers and training providers, and repeating the commitment in the Get Britain Working White Paper to create an inclusive labour market.

Across the eight industries in the Industrial Strategy, there’s huge potential for green jobs. This isn’t limited to Clean Energy Industries, but applies across most, if not all eight Industries. If this Government succeeds in strengthening employer-training provider partnerships, and creates the inclusive labour market it is aiming for, we’ll see new, accessible green jobs ranging from sustainable finance to installing renewable energy infrastructure.

It’s positive to see this government setting a clear, long-term ambition for industry, and thinking seriously about how to create the skills pathways needed. This kind of approach is needed create clear pathways that support more young people, and young people from more diverse backgrounds, into green jobs. But it won’t be enough on its own. There’s an important role for charities and communities in shaping the design of these pathways, and making sure that they are responsive to the specific needs of individuals.