Skills for a green economy: A report on the evidence
Skills for a green economy: A report on the evidence - A joint HM Government report with contributions from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Executive Summary:
This project on skills in the green economy results from recommendations made in the skills strategy for England, Skills for Sustainable Growth (November 2010). The report supplements the information relating to skills published as part of Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy (August 2011).
The aims of the project were to identify skills needed to support the transition to a strong and sustainable green economy; and to assess evidence of employer demand and potential responses from the skills system which will lead to these skills being delivered.
The overarching purpose for this report is to assist businesses and the agencies which support them in the clear articulation of skills needs related to the green economy: a role for the government repeatedly identified from consultation with industry.
The green economy is defined as one in which value and growth are maximised across the whole economy, while natural assets are managed sustainably. Such an economy would be supported and enabled by a thriving low carbon and environmental goods and services sector. Environmental damage would be reduced, while energy security, resource efficiency and resilience to climate change would all be increased.
The transition to a green economy requires a workforce with the right skills. This includes not only skills in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector, but also those needed to help all businesses use natural resources efficiently and sustainably and to be resilient to climate change. The evidence gathered in the course of the project indicates that in general businesses are currently not certain about their future green skills needs. That said, some sectors do identify specific skills needs, including energy generation, the construction industry and the food and agriculture sectors.
In England, the government will encourage businesses to plan for the future. Supporting actions include:
- Bringing together a new ‘skills for a green economy’ grouping of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in order to understand changing requirements more thoroughly and to communicate this to businesses, skills providers and individuals thinking through their long term career choices. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), which has as a priority to galvanise employer action on skills, will support this
- Improving the quality of information, advice and guidance available on careers in a green economy, together with information on the skills linked to the green economy that will be needed in the future, through the new National Careers Service to be launched in April 2012
- Improving the quality of skills provision in the Further Education (FE) system. The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) will work with the sector to develop and improve the quality of green skills provision across the sector, and the Institute for Learning (IfL) will support teachers and trainers to include green skills more in teaching
- Raising awareness and understanding of the green economy through the work of Unionlearn to support lifelong learning among the workforce
- Continuing to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills as a priority for the green economy at least as much as for the economy as a whole
- Making available funding for up to 1,000 Apprenticeship places for the Green Deal, subject to take-up by businesses.
Read the full report (PDF, 138 Kb)
