The UK government has announced a major “National Green Energy Plan,” committing to the creation of 400,000 new jobs alongside its efforts to tackle climate change.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband unveiled the details of the scheme, which aims to train people for these 400,000 additional jobs within the next five years. He emphasized that skilled professionals such as plumbers, electricians, and welders will be in “huge demand” under this new plan, which will provide the necessary training for these trades.
A primary goal of the plan is to double the number of people working in green industries by 2030. It will place a special focus on retraining individuals currently in fossil fuel jobs, as well as school leavers, the unemployed, veterans, and even ex-offenders, helping them transition into the future economy.
Ed Miliband clarified that the plan includes measures requiring companies that receive public grants or contracts to generate good jobs within the clean energy sector. Furthermore, the government will promote greater trade union recognition and collective bargaining, even for offshore projects.
Major unions, including Unite and GMB, have welcomed the announcement. They have long been pushing for a detailed plan on how workers will transition from fossil fuel industries to the clean energy industries of the future.
The plan designates 31 skilled trades as priorities for recruitment and training. At the top of the list are plumbers and heating installers, with an estimated need for an additional 8,000 to 10,000 by 2030. According to Miliband, this national plan answers the “critical question” of where the good jobs of the future will come from.
