Making green jobs more accessible and achievable for all will help us tackle climate change and level up the country, says new Groundwork report - Groundwork UK
A new report from Groundwork sets out how investment in green skills and green job creation will not only help achieve the UK’s net zero ambitions but can also be the stimulus for building pride of place and tackling long-term unemployment.
The ‘Growing Green Careers’ report makes the case for supporting more entry-level pathways into green jobs across multiple sectors – from energy generation to nature recovery – as well as embracing the notion that every job ‘has to be a green job’ if we are ever going to future-proof the economy and the environment.
The charity has put forward recommendations to sectors with the that have the opportunity to influence and inspire the necessary change needed, including central and local government and employment and education bodies, to make green jobs both a viable and vital option.
Key recommendations include:
- Improved careers education to help young people understand the opportunities in the green economy.
- Embedding environmental skills and knowledge as a core employability skill.
- Creative approaches to recruitment and clarity on career progression, to attract a more diverse workforce to green careers.
- Piloting sector-based work academies, to provide a hub for green skills development in local areas where there is a need for skilled workers in green jobs and for quality employment for local people.
- The development of a Youth Environmental Service – a programme of funded year-long placements to help young people from more diverse backgrounds develop the skills and experience they need to develop careers in the green sector.
- Using the opportunity of the upcoming UK Shared Prosperity Fund to develop the skills needed locally to support net zero plans and grow a more circular, community-centred economy, with targeted support for under-represented groups.
The report reflects on the fact that the environmental sector is one of the least diverse in the economy and calls on employers to diversify their workforce, both to access a wider pool of talent and also engage under-represented groups in the conversation about how to protect and improve the environment.