Creating Pathways to a Green Economy

By Anna Short, Groundwork

As we make the transition to a green economy, the definition of a green job is widening. For the UK government, a green job “contribute[s] to the preservation or restoration of the environment and our planet” and includes traditional roles taking on new sustainable practices and advocating for our planet’s protection. If we are going to achieve a just transition, building a green and sustainable economy requires all jobs to become greener.

Not only does this provide opportunities for local people to engage and unite in the net zero movement, but for people with different skills or who have faced barriers into work – this is a chance to reshape the workforce. A chance to increase youth employment, to develop life skills and to ensure that a lasting green economy is one that is inclusive, representative and accessible.

Amidst a green-skills shortage, there needs to be the right training, support, pay and progression for green jobs. In short, the creation of attractive and innovative career pathways.

Groundwork’s New to Nature programme did exactly that.

New to Nature was established to deliver potentially life-changing experiences for people from groups that are under-represented in nature careers, as part of efforts to create a more inclusive environmental sector. The programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was aimed at young people who are disabled, from an ethnic minority, or from low-income homes – providing them with opportunities to gain 12-months of paid employment in a nature job.

Amazingly, most trainees transitioned into full-time roles, often within their host organisations. 80% credited the programme with helping them secure employment, and many reported promotions, pay rises, and increased confidence.

Despite positive outcomes of programmes like New to Nature, young people still face barriers when seeking future employment – such as perceptions of low pay, few representative role models, and inaccessible entry routes. New to Nature highlighted the need to embed inclusive recruitment practices across the sector to ensure that people job seeking gain an accessible and supportive route into a green career – especially those who are currently under-represented and who are outside the job market.

While the New to Nature initiative has now closed, the learnings and insight live on via Groundwork’s resource hub for employers. With inclusive recruitment guides, programme impact and policy reports, and legacy stories from graduates, the hub shares lessons learned as well as practical tools to build more accessible recruitment practices and workplace cultures.

Designed to answer the question “what can environmental organisations do to create a more inclusive sector?”, the resource hub is a valuable asset for employers who feel they could be going further to ensure the sector is more diverse and representative; so that they too, can meaningfully tell future applicants: a green job is open to all.

Andrew Harrison, Head of Delivery & Learning at Groundwork UK, said: “The success of New to Nature shows that when green job opportunities are made more accessible, we see a range of outcomes – for people seeking work, for employers looking to attract new talent to address skills gaps, and in supporting responses to the nature and climate emergencies. The New to Nature resource hub brings together learning from more than 80 environmental organisations who hosted nearly 100 paid work placements for young people. The fact that so many employers chose to offer trainees permanent employment is testament to the calibre and commitment of the young people who joined the programme. We’d urge other employers to consider what changes they can make to attract young talent into the environmental sector.”

At Groundwork, we believe green career pathways should be a viable, accessible choice for young people. We will continue to work with partners and the sector to make this a reality. Get in touch for a conversation.

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